BC lawmakers consider policies, technologies ahead of marijuana legalization

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Provincial politicians have a lot to decide on before recreational marijuana becomes legal across Canada, reportedly on July 1st of next year.

That includes finding a reliable gadget to determine if a driver is high.

“We’ve been working on the marijuana file now for quite some time,” says BC Public Safety Minister Mike Morris.

“We visited Washington, Colorado, other jurisdictions where marijuana has been legalized. We’ve had a team of assistant deputy ministers that have been working diligently looking at various models.”

According to media reports, provinces will have the final say on how much recreational pot will cost, how it’s distributed, and how old you have to be to buy it.

Morris says they’re also working to find a reliable roadside gadget police could use to determine if a driver is high.

The Vancouver Police Department is one of several law enforcement agencies testing out two different oral screening devices as part of a nation-wide pilot program announced back in December.

The devices analyze someone’s saliva for the presence of certain drugs, including meth, cocaine, and opioids.

“Our immediate roadside prohibition program will apply to anybody under the influence of a drug the same as it applies to alcohol. It’s just a matter of getting a device that is handy enough that a police officer can use it roadside to make that determination,” Morris says.

The Ministry is hoping to find a reliable testing device before the new federal regulations kick in.

Morris adds though that much of their decision-making hinges on what the Trudeau government’s legislation contains. If the media reports are correct, that legislation will be released early next month.

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