Pot enforcement won't change until marijuana is legalized, says Regina police chief
'Today, the law still says that [marijuana]'s illegal to possess,' says Police Chief Evan Bray
Regina Police Chief Evan Bray says there are no plans to let up on policing marijuana while it's still illegal.
Bray said there has been discussion about its impending legalization, one of the Liberal promises made in the 2015 federal election.
But the law will continue to be enforced in Regina until it changes, according to the police chief.
"Today, the law still says that [marijuana]'s illegal to possess," he said in a year-end interview with CBC News.
Bray said police exercise discretion when it comes to the issue and will continue to do so. If someone was a danger to themselves or others, such as being behind the wheel of a vehicle while impaired by drugs, he said police would act on the matter.
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"It's something that, as a police service, I don't think we've changed our role or our thoughts on that very much," he said.
Bray added that measuring someone's impairment from drugs while driving will continue to be a challenge for police after marijuana use is legalized.
Saliva testing and oral swabs are two ways in which police can check for drug impairment. But Bray said Canadian courts do not yet recognize these methods of testing.
"For us, we pull someone over and they've been drinking — we can [use] a roadside screening device or get them in for a breathalyzer and we can tell like that if they're impaired," Bray said.
"With drugs, right now, nothing's approved that gives us that same sort of reading."
Instead, officers rely on training they have received to specifically recognize drug impairment, he said.
Bray said a trained officer, who may not have even been the one to conduct the stop, will arrive on scene and conduct a series of tests looking at things like pupil dilation and reaction time.
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"Ultimately, it will give this officer reasonable and probable grounds to believe that person is impaired by a drug," he said.
The officer would then have to testify in court and subject the training to scrutiny. The process of doing so is cumbersome, Bray admits.
"That's what we're worried about when it comes to, especially safety on the highways and safety on our streets and the city," he said.
When legislation is put forward regarding marijuana use and sale, the police will adjust accordingly, Bray said. He added that drug enforcement was necessary for community safety, especially in regard to trafficking.
Addressing impaired driving — both drugs and alcohol — will be a long-term, multi-level process, Bray said.
Enforcement, such as making check stops, is just one step. Education for children is key, he added.
"We have to understand that some of the work we do today proactively is going to affect us 10 years from now."
With files from CBC's Jill Morgan