BOWDEN -- Local RCMP officers are still waiting for specialized roadside cannabis testing kits to come out as Oct. 17 looms.
That's the date when consumption of recreational cannabis becomes legal nationwide.
During a visit to Bowden town council on Sept. 24, Olds RCMP commanding officer Staff Sgt. Jim MacDonald said police are still waiting for those new kits, but they have a testing procedure they can utilize in the meantime.
He was responding to a request for an update on the cannabis situation from Coun. Kerry Kelm.
"As far as the training, there's training now available for police officers. It's an online training program right now to help front-line police officers understand the new legislation as well as how to enforce the new laws," MacDonald said.
"We're still waiting for the technology to catch up as far as the roadside screening," he added.
"With alcohol, of course you have roadside screening devices that you could present to the driver right at the roadside indicating the person potentially could be impaired by alcohol. From there, the person goes back to the detachment and provides a breath sample for our device at the detachment.
"Right now, there's been one that's been approved by the government. Police forces -- including the RCMP -- are still testing that one and other devices. But is it going to be ready in time for the legislation? No," MacDonald said.
While they wait for those new testing kits, MacDonald said police are utilizing "standard field sobriety testing" in cases where they suspect someone to be impaired by drugs, including cannabis. He described that test as being "very much like you see in movies -- you know, a person walking a straight line, checking the fine motor skills of a person. If, through that method, a police officer determines a driver to be impaired by drugs, that person is then referred to police officers who are trained drug recognition experts. They will take blood samples or other samples to determine if that person is indeed impaired by drugs.
"So there are means, but it's just not as convenient, or as easy or as scientific as a device that you can use to present to a person on the roadside," MacDonald said.
"It sounds like an expensive proposition all the way around," Kelm said.
"It is, yeah, for sure," MacDonald replied.
"Whether it's going to be equipping Canadian police forces with roadside devices or equipping all these police officers with the training and the time that it takes to do this, certainly there's more money involved in it."
Councillors agreed.
"You know, I've said before: we've been dealing with cannabis for a long time. Now it's just the focus and the way that we deal with the changes," MacDonald said.
"It's not something that's completely new and it's very similar in many respects to the way we've dealt with alcohol in the past.
"So it's not like it's something new to police officers to investigate, it's just that the way that we investigate and the specific laws that we enforce -- that's what's changing," he said.
"Fortunately the aroma is pretty strong; it's pretty easy (to tell) unless it's a brownie sitting there," Kelm said, sparking laughter from fellow councillors.
