CANNABIS CONCERNS
Police chief says marijuana legalization carries funding gap.
Cape Breton Regional Police Chief Peter McIsaac is raising concerns over what he says is an imminent funding gap relating to legalized cannabis.
McIsaac told the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s police commission that landmark legislation to decriminalize pot is looming.
“We’re still waiting to learn exact funding formulas and how that money will make its way to the provinces and the individual municipalities,” McIsaac said Tuesday.
“We certainly expect an additional impact on municipal resources beyond what comes from the (federal) government.”
McIsaac said the province’s Department of Justice is currently working to create a provincial training team funded by Ottawa.
The outfit will be responsible for training both drug recognition enforcement officers and field sobriety testing officers.
“Our officers have and will continue to aggressively focus on those who are driving impaired by drugs and alcohol placing the lives of other road users in danger,” he said.
“We expect a significant increase in the number of impaired driving offences that we must be prepared and equipped to deal with.”
McIsaac said the federal government is developing an online training course for officers to become familiar with Canadian cannabis legislation known as Bill C-45.
McIsaac, who is also president of the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association, said additional costs facing departments relate to oral screening devices, overtime, training and the need for additional drug-detection experts.
“This could become law at any time,” he said. “I expect probably later this summer, early fall.”
CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke said it’s important for police commissions and municipalities to track their costs related to pot legislation and enforcement.
“We are going to have significant budgetary impacts coming forward (including within) the current budget year, which we have not forecasted for or accommodated,” Clarke said.
“That is a factor between the commission as well as with
council that we need to stay engaged with.”
CBRM police commission chair, Earlene MacMullin attended a police governance meeting recently where legislation costs were raised.
“It’s not information we’re looking for by ourselves but it is a really big concern,” she said.
“This money does have to come from somewhere. We don’t have the option — we can’t not deal with it.”
McIsaac has additional concerns about the rules for public consumption, despite a recent strengthening of provincial
legislation.
He said the Smoke-free Places Act doesn’t allow smoking within four metres of an entrance or air intake but that wouldn’t prevent smokers from being allowed to puff while walking on sidewalks.
“We have very serious concerns that outside these restrictions cannabis consumption will be permitted in public places,” McIsaac said.
“Not only does this expose others, including children and youth, to second-hand smoke, it also normalizes cannabis consumption.”
In April, the Nova Scotia
government also established its Cannabis Control Act, a framework that includes rules around the sale, distribution, purchase, possession, cultivation, propagation and harvest of cannabis.