The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is urging a revised timeline as the federal government moves forward with legislation to legalize marijuana.
Recently, the association released a detailed written brief to the federal standing committee on health with regards to efforts to legalize marijuana by next summer.
“In light of their role as law enforcement agencies, Canadian police services will undoubtedly be impacted by the proposed legislation of cannabis,” states the association’s briefing paper. “The goal of this paper is to identify concerns related to several key provisions of the act, and to provide recommendations in order to achieve the objectives of the proposed legislation.”
The paper addresses a number of themes, including training and the impact on police resources, personal cultivation and possession, organized crime, medical marijuana, packaging and labeling, return of property, youth and public education.
The association says given the complexities of the legislation and the impact it will have on the policing community, many questions remain unanswered, so it is urging the feds to give everyone involved more time to prepare.
“There are key elements that impact policing and require critical consideration,” said Delta police Chief Neil Dubord.
From a law enforcement perspective, Dubord said there is work that has yet to be done in order to best prepare officers to be in a position to effectively manage this new legislation.
“I do believe the timeline is aggressive and we may all be better served with extending the timeline to ensure the successful implantation of the legislation,” Dubord added.
