Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jun 2017
Source: Cape Breton Post (CN NS)
Copyright: 2017 Cape Breton Post
Contact:  http://www.capebretonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/777
Author: Nancy King
Page: A3

REGIONAL POLICE PREPARING FOR LEGAL CANNABIS

Municipalities are the ones who are going to be dealing with it on a
daily basis

The Cape Breton Regional Police Service is attempting to prepare for
the impending legalization of cannabis but it's unclear how much it
will cost to put the necessary supports in place, Chief Peter McIsaac
says.

In a report to the board of police commissioners Tuesday, McIsaac
outlined some of the measures that the service is taking to prepare
for the change. The federal government is set to legalize the
recreational use of cannabis next year but it hasn't been explained
yet how it will be regulated and distributed. While the law will be
federal, it will be left to the provinces and municipalities to
regulate it, he said.

McIsaac said there will be a significant impact on provinces and
municipalities although exactly what it will mean is not yet known.

"It's going to be cultivated within your community, it's going to be
regulated, it's going to be inspected, it's going to be consumed, so
the municipalities are the ones who are going to be dealing with it on
a daily level," he said.

"Whether (the provinces are) going to regulate it like alcohol and
tobacco and they're going to control it, I suspect that's going to
happen, but nobody knows. But the bottom line is, this stuff is going
to be within the municipality."

McIsaac attended a symposium in May conducted by agencies including
the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities and the Nova Scotia Health
Authority aimed at preparing municipalities for the legislation, due
to go into effect July 1, 2018.

Legislation will control the production, distribution, sale and
possession of cannabis but McIsaac said there will be issues related
to youth as well as public health and safety created in the process.

Drug-impaired driving is expected to increase with easier access to
cannabis, McIsaac said. There are currently no set limits to quantify
impairment related to drugs, he said.

Roadside devices are currently being tested but will only determine
the presence of a drug, not the level of impairment.

"What the roadside screening device will do is give reasonable grounds
to believe that a driver is drug-impaired and the ability to demand
further evaluation or a blood sample, which is a very expensive
process on its own," McIsaac said.

There are currently four members of the regional force trained as drug
recognition experts. McIsaac said accessing the necessary training is
very expensive and currently requires sending an officer to the United
States. The service is lucky to have one officer a year attend the
training, he said, adding they could probably use at least a dozen
trained officers, with three to four available for each platoon.

He warned that the additional time associated with those processes
could result in the police service seeking additional members. McIsaac
said the current approach to cannabis isn't working, noting young
people can buy a joint easier today than they can purchase cigarettes.

He added the legislation will also reduce the role of organized crime
in the distribution of cannabis

Until the legislation is in place, current laws involving the
possession and trafficking of marijuana will be enforced, McIsaac said.
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