Recreational marijuana is now legal across Canada.
Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, was initiated by the federal government in 2016 and became active as of Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018.
In British Columbia, this means adults aged 19 or older may purchase, possess, grow, cook with and consume a limited amount of cannabis.
With such an immense and long-awaited change in legislature upon us, one must wonder: what has 100 Mile House done to prepare?
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett said she didn’t think we were adequately prepared.
“There is so many questions out there about how the RCMP are going to monitor it on the highways and the byways,” she said. “Personally I just feel that that legal end of it hasn’t been taken care of.”
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Barnett said we’ve come along way with the Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) campaign and impaired driving programs, and having known this is coming, she thinks more should have been done to prepare for potential instances of driving while high.
“I hope it’s not going to cost local taxpayers any extra funds for education or law and order,” considering it was the federal and provincial governments who will profit off of taxing cannabis sales, she said.
Ultimately, she said we’ll have to wait a year to see whether this was a good decision.
There are currently no distribution centres officially lined up for the 100 Mile House area.
Mitch Campsall, the incumbent mayor of the 100 Mile House District, said he and the council have been looking at how to deal with safe distribution of the drug for a year-and-a-half.
“We’re taking a look at it but we’re not going to rush into it.”
He said the new council, of which he hopes to still be mayor, will be responsible for executing a plan.
When asked whether there’s been enough public education about the new legislation, he said, “I don’t think there’s been enough education through Canada to find out what information, what’s going to change.”
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Campsall said his biggest concern would be consequential health issues from abusing the drug.
“It’s like anything, if people use it properly, then there isn’t going to be a problem,” he said.
Campsall declined to reveal or confirm any speculation about what locations have been proposed for possible distribution centres.
Instead, he reiterated, “We’re going to go into it at the speed that we need to go into it and to make sure when we do it we do it the right way.”
Svend Nielsen, the detachment commander for the 100 Mile House RCMP, said increased Standard Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) has long been underway.
“This enables members to detect low levels of alcohol and drug testing through a series of standardized sobriety tests. We currently have a number of SFST trained members at the detachment, with the goal of everyone being trained in the future.”
There is currently one Drug Recognition Expert trained in 100 Mile House, which is typical considering the time required for such highly specialized training and the size of the detachment, said Nielsen. They are working towards training more.
Nielsen declined to comment on the accuracy of roadside testing, whether he had any personal concerns or whether he thought they were prepared for the new legislation.
beth.audet@100milefreepress.net
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