Pubdate: Wed, 13 Sep 2017
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2017 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Mia Rabson
Page: A13

POLICE CALL ON OTTAWA TO DELAY CANNABIS LEGALIZATION

Canada's police services say there is zero chance they will be ready
to enforce new laws for legalized marijuana by next summer.

Officials from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Ontario
Provincial Police and the Saskatoon Police Service are among dozens of
witnesses testifying to the House of Commons health committee this
week as it studies the government's bill to legalize marijuana.

They said on Tuesday they need more time to properly train officers
about the new laws and more than double the number of police officers
who are certified to conduct roadside drug-impaired driving testing.
There also needs to be more time for public education, the police said.

If the government doesn't postpone the start date, there will be a
window of six months to a year when police aren't fully ready, which
will allow organized crime to flourish, OPP deputy commissioner for
investigations and organized crime Rick Barnum said.

The police also want Ottawa to reconsider allowing individuals to grow
up to four of their own marijuana plants because it will be difficult
and expensive to enforce and provide an additional way for young
people to get access to marijuana.

"Why do you need home grows when we're going to have a good system to
access marijuana legally?" Mr. Barnum asked.

Mr. Barnum said the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
officially wrote to the government this week to request a delay in
implementation. The Liberals have pledged marijuana will be legal in
Canada by the summer of 2018.

While legalization of recreational marijuana will lighten their
workload - there were 16,000 charges laid for simple possession in
2016 - police said it brings a whole host of other problems, including
an expected rise in complaints about neighbours owning
marijuanaplants, suspected grow-ops, and robberies and home invasions.

The police request for a delay comes after Canada's premiers warned
the federal government in June that they may not be ready with
provincial laws and regulations to accompany the federal bill by next
summer. To date, the government has not changed course.

While Ottawa's bill sets 18 as the minimum age for using legal
marijuana, provinces can choose to make that age higher if they want.
They also have to determine how and where legal marijuana will be sold.

The Ontario government last week announced its intention to open up to
150 provincial marijuana stores managed by the Liquor Control Board of
Ontario, as well as an online marijuana depot option. Ontario also set
the minimum age for marijuana use at 19 to match the legal drinking
age in the province.

The police said organized crime is a serious problem in the
medical-marijuana system in Canada. While there is no way to eliminate
it in the recreational market, they said if the laws are introduced
slowly and with proper time to implement, there is a chance to reduce
organized crime's involvement somewhat.

Mr. Barnum estimated police will need six to eight months from the
time all legislation at the provincial and federal level is in place
before they will be fully ready to enforce the new laws.

The police say they also need more time and money to train officers to
recognize and handle drug-impaired drivers.

The International Drug Evaluation and Classification Program is only
offered in the United States currently marijuana and takes more than a
week of course work and a field evaluation supervised by a trained
officer.

Nationally, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police estimates
there need to be at least 2,000 officers with the training, up from
about 600 now.
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