cannabis
Mary J 101: What really happens to you when you consume cannabis?
Legal cannabis in Canada now has a birth date. As governments, law enforcement, and fleets gear up for Oct. 17, we’re looking at what happens when you consume a cannabis product. Pop culture would have you believe you’ll get a little lazy, a little giggly, and you’ll be reaching for your favorite snack. But what happens really? And, more importantly, how does it affect your ability to drive?
Smoke Screen: Testing remains in a legal vacuum
July 1 has secured an unusual place in the story of marijuana. The national holiday was once reported as the deadline to legalize recreational weed. That didn’t happen, of course, but Canada Day is still left as the deadline for Ontario’s Cannabis Act, which established related rules for drivers and sellers alike. Canada’s cross-border drivers even began facing their mandated drug tests on July 1, 1996.
Test and Measure: Not all testing methods equal
TORONTO, Ont. -- Whether testing for the presence of alcohol or drugs in a workplace, or at the side of a road, each tool comes with its own pros and cons. Now that Canada is preparing to legalize recreational marijuana, police forces across the country are being trained in oral fluids testing, also known as saliva testing, and the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST). And these are both options for a fleet looking to determine a driver’s fitness for duty. Both methods offer immediate results – unlike tests involving hair, urine, or blood. That’s good enough to determine fitness for duty and keep a potentially impaired driver off the highway. But courts typically rely on another layer of tests, which means the initial positive results might not be enough to terminate someone.
Walk the Line: Testing options go beyond oral fluids
Canada’s Senate has passed the bills needed to legalize cannabis and enforce related rules, but with four dozen proposed amendments it will be weeks or months before roadside enforcement teams know exactly what kinds of devices they can use for roadside tests.
Trucking regulations surrounding cannabis are still being worked out: Blair
TORONTO, Ont. – Canadians still hoping they’ll be able to legally smoke a joint to celebrate the country’s July 1 birthday will be disappointed, says MP Bill Blair. The former top cop for Toronto turned federal member of parliament was in Toronto Thursday night to talk cannabis legalization. Co-hosting a town hall with MP Arif Virani, Blair addressed concerns from residents about the upcoming changes to drug laws, including those about impaired driving and use by those in safety sensitive positions.
Canadians comfortable with private fleets transporting cannabis: Ipsos
MONTREAL, QC – A majority of Canadians surveyed say they would be comfortable with private or for-hire fleets being responsible for transporting cannabis once it becomes legal in Canada later this year. There are still looming questions about enforcement, growing, storage, and transportation of the drug that will need to be cleared up in time for the summer deadline set by the federal government for legalization.
