Pubdate: Fri, 09 Dec 2016
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2016 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wEtbT4yU
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Tom Blackwell
Page: A6

LABS NOT READY FOR SURGE IN POT TESTS

Law Enforcement

The federal government is expecting a deluge of police requests for
marijuana tests once cannabis is legalized and is concerned about
whether Canada's shrinking number of forensic labs will be able to
handle the surge.

Legalization of the drug in the new year is likely to "increase
dramatically" the demand for pot analysis of urine and blood samples
from suspected impaired drivers, says a tender issued recently by
Public Safety Canada.

One outside expert says it's unclear if they can meet that demand,
given the RCMP has shut down three of its six forensic testing centres
since 2014.

The request for proposals (RFP) asks for contractors to study the
capacity of Canada's lab system and the potential for a "backlog of
samples," then advise on a new framework for analyzing bodily fluid
samples.

"It should be expected that the number of samples requiring lab
analysis will increase dramatically once cannabis is legalized, simply
because the police will be reacting to the new regime with a similar
approach as they do for driving under the influence of alcohol," says
the RFP. "Roadside checks and random screening of drivers for drugs
will likely occur more often."

In fact, law enforcement in Colorado reported more charges for driving
under the influence of drugs, and more deaths related to "drugged
drivers" after the state made marijuana legal, the document notes.

Washington has reported similar trends since implementing the same
change.

The Trudeau government has promised to bring in a bill to make
recreational use of the drug lawful by this spring.

Whether people actually start smoking more pot and then drive or
police simply look for it more, additional testing will be needed,
predicts Doug Beirness, a senior research associate at the Canadian
Centre for Substance Abuse.

Meanwhile, the RCMP recently closed forensic labs in Halifax, Winnipeg
and Regina, saving $3.5 million a year.

"We reduced our toxicology capacity immensely. What were you
thinking?" Beirness said. "Now we're going to increase the number of
samples we're getting. There's the problem …. This is just added."

While the system for policing alcohol-impaired drivers is well worn -
officer-administered breathalyser tests have long been accepted in
court - identifying and prosecuting those influenced by other drugs is
more complex.

"We're talking about two completely different animals," said Supt.
Gord Jones of the Toronto Police Service, co-chair of the Canadian
Association of Chiefs of Police traffic committee.

Specially trained "drug recognition experts" first determine whether
someone suspected of impaired driving is under the influence of a narcotic.

If the answer is yes, a sample can be requested, then sent to the
forensic lab for confirmation. Blood is better than urine, because it
can indicate if drivers have the drug actively circulating in their
systems, rather than just metabolites of it that may have been there
for some time, said Beirness.

Police forces are now testing hand-held devices that analyze saliva,
but it's unclear whether courts will accept the results as evidence,
he said.

Jones said he hopes education efforts around the legalization
initiative will dissuade people from smoking pot and driving.

That said, "the reality of the experience of our friends in the States
is they have seen an increase, and there will be an impact on labs
across the country."
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MAP posted-by: Matt