Police cannabis use debated

WELLINGTON: As New Zealand police debate whether officers should be able to use cannabis if it were legal, the Canadian police union supports officers smoking up — as long as they remain fit for duty.

‘‘If it’s legal, I don’t think you should prohibit someone from consuming the substance,’’ said Canadian Police Association president Tom Stamatakis, who is due to speak via videolink at the New Zealand Police Association annual conference in Wellington today.

The main theme of the conference is how to police cannabis if it were made legal for personal use in New Zealand.

A referendum on legalisation by or at the 2020 general election is part of the confidence and supply agreement between Labour and the Greens.

The association is not taking a stance on whether it should be legalised, but believes it is important to discuss how to be prepared in case there is a ‘‘yes’’ vote.

One of the complex issues is how to measure impairment from cannabis use, not only for drivers and workers, but also for onduty police officers who want to consume cannabis legally.

Cannabis will be legal in Canada in a week, and Mr Stamatakis said the Canadian Police Association does not support banning officers from using it.

‘‘Our expectation is that police officers would be fit for duty when they report for work. It’s the same expectation when it comes to alcohol or prescription drugs.

‘‘If someone’s at work and you feel they are impaired, you

would enter an investigation based on certain symptoms – the same as for alcohol.

‘‘If I could smell alcohol and they were unsteady on their feet, you could demand a breath test.’’

But despite the union’s stance, Mr Stamatakis said there were different rules across the 200 police forces in Canada’s 10 provinces: some had an outright ban for police officers, even while offduty, while others wanted a 24hour

or 48hour prohibition before work.

‘‘There is no consistent approach to this, and no definitive evidence to say what should happen.’’

Police Minister Stuart Nash said yesterday he would be ‘‘horrified’’ if stoned police showed up for work.

Police association president Chris Cahill agreed, but noted that a person could consume cannabis and not be impaired.

‘‘If cannabis is legal, cops can

use it, too,’’ Mr Cahill said in his opening remarks to the conference yesterday.

‘‘The consequences of THC [the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis] being detected in a drug test following a critical incident, such as a police shooting, are extremely serious for us.

‘‘If cannabis becomes legal, our members need to know exactly where they stand on recreational use themselves.’’ — NZME