Legal marijuana creates impaired driving issues: Police Chief
With Canada’s federal government poised to legalize marijuana in 2017, Prince Albert’s police chief said the new laws will come with challenges for his department, particularly around impaired driving.
“We’re waiting to see when that legislation’s going to come out,” Chief Troy Cooper told paNOW. “There’s issues and concerns around the production of marijuana and who’s going to sell it, and whether or not that’s going to have an impact on organized crime.”
Cooper said he has been paying close attention to the challenges faced by police in the United States, where several states have already legalized the drug for recreational use.
“We know that they struggled with issues around impaired driving by drugs,” Cooper said. “For us that’s a real concern, and it’s something that we’re hopeful that the government assists us with as they roll this out to make sure that we do have the tools to keep the community safe.”