1. May 8, 2018 Nova Scotia Law Enforcement Perspective
Truro Police Service
May 8, 2018
Nova Scotia Law Enforcement Perspective

2. Nova Scotia Police Concerns
Public Consumption
Personal Cultivation
Road Safety (Impaired Driving by Drug)
Dispensaries

3. Nova Scotia Cannabis Control Act
On April 3, 2018, the Government of Nova Scotia introduced the Cannabis Control Act to establish the province’s legislative framework for recreational cannabis legalization, including rules around the sale, distribution, purchase, possession, cultivation, propagation and harvesting of cannabis.
The Cannabis Control Act enacts new legislation and amends seven other pieces of legislation, including the Liquor Control Act, Smoke-Free Places Act and Motor Vehicle Act.

4. Public Consumption-Places of Use
Public use of Cannabis is banned in playgrounds, public recreation venues and public trails; as well as in provincial parks and on provincial beaches.
Cannabis use will be completely prohibited in vehicles, by both drivers and passengers.
However, from a policing perspective, we believe the rules for public consumption under the Cannabis Control Act don’t go far enough:
Second hand smoke exposure
Difficult to enforce-lack of capacity
Municipalities can regulate their own By-Laws
Conflicts within the community

5. Personal Cultivation
Bill C-45 would permit persons to cultivate up to 4 cannabis plants inside or outside of their dwelling, for personal use – provinces and territories can lower this number.
Considerations:
Youth access to plants
House vs. person
Health and safety hazards – fire, electrical, mould
Potential diversion to the illegal market
Enforcement difficulties – how to distinguish between licit and illicit.
Security risk of robbery (increased crime)

6. Impaired Driving
Impaired driving already prevalent and will increase with legalization (based on Washington State and Colorado’s experience)
Leading cause of criminal death in Canada
Colorado’s traffic fatalities where the driver tested positive for THC quadrupled from 18 in 2013 to 77 in 2016 (after legalization)
Considerations:
Enforcement: Training, Equipment, additional DRE officers (certification only offered in US – lengthy and costly)
Lack of science / evidence based determinants of impairment
Increased risk factor of impairment by alcohol and drug
Resources – volume of work for law enforcement will increase exponentially
Proving a drug-impaired driving offence, including blood samples, will be complicated and time consuming
Feds funding $81M to support provinces and territories for access to screening devices and training for drug-impaired recognition

7. Dispensaries
In several communities in Nova Scotia there continue to be dispensaries operating as medical cannabis distributors which is currently illegal and will continue to be illegal after the legalization of cannabis
The NSLC in Nova Scotia is the only authorized retail outlets for recreational cannabis sales
The Cannabis Control Act has fines for sales outside of the NSLC
These investigations will be time and resource consuming
Increased costs to municipalities for enforcement/court costs
What is the revenue sharing for fines? ($10,000 - $25,000)
Colorado-since 2014 their crime rate has been rising, outstripping the national trend
In 2016 Colorado’s crime rate was up 5% compared to 2013-violent crime went up 12.5% during this time. The national increase was less that 5%

8. QUESTIONS ??