Regina police chief encourages officers to take educational approach on cannabis

On the eve of cannabis legalization, Regina's top cop is encouraging officers to ease into enforcement and not to light up within 24 hours of starting a shift. 

Evan Bray is confident police are ready for legal pot. While he won't give an opinion on whether legalization is a good idea, he says he's still concerned negative consequences may stem from it.

"I've also heard from some people on Twitter that that's not the case and that I'm fear-mongering by saying that," he said Tuesday. 

As it stands, Bray explained cannabis is not the No. 1 priority for the force or its drug enforcement team — meth is— but for now, enforcing cannabis laws is going rank high on police's radar since they're new.

No additional resources are being deployed for legalization, but more officers are being trained to become drug recognition experts. There are currently 11, Bray said, with upwards of 80 officers trained to deliver standard field sobriety tests. 

Police will focus on impaired driving, minors

Impaired driving and keeping pot away from minors will be the top priorities for police when it come to cannabis enforcement, while other laws — including those around illegal dispensaries — will be upheld through a complaint basis, Bray said.

"We're not going out and randomly checking homes to see if they've got more than four plants growing," he said.

"If we get a complaint that someone is smoking on a school ground then we will investigate that."

Bray anticipates police will be challenged in court on testing for cannabis-impaired driving — and future use of the Drager DrugTest 5000, which allows officers to do a salvia test for THC, because the laws around it are "relatively untested."

So what happens if a police officer spots someone walking down a sidewalk smoking a joint?

Wants officers to 'engage in a conversation'

Bray acknowledges what happens next depends on the officer, but he's encouraged members to take an educational approach when it comes to enforcing the law — at least for a while. 

"I would hope that the officer would engage in a conversation," he said, adding police have a role to play in education as well as enforcement.

"I expect our members are going to engage in dialogue with members of our community, help educate them on what's legal and what's not," Bray said. "Let's ease our way into this as best we can, keeping community safety in mind."

It won't be a grace period, he said, but he acknowledged there will be a transition time while people learn the dos and don'ts of legal cannabis.

Regina's rules for cops

Unlike Calgary's and Toronto's police services, there will be no ban or restrictive timeframe on when Regina's members can smoke up in their off-duty time — but there is an advisory. 

The Regina Police Service's policy — which cites Health Canada — warns officers that the effects of impairment can linger in one's body for up to 24 hours. 

"I would hope that you would not smoke it within 24 hours of coming to work," Bray said.

So what happens if an officer smokes a joint at midnight when they are expected at work for 9 a.m.?

"I would hope you wouldn't do that."

Bray said Regina's officers won't be subject to random drug tests. Instead, it will be left up to supervisors to spot the signs of impairment.

In cases where that is confirmed, officers could face consequences ranging from internal discipline to a criminal charge. 

Despite cannabis being the topic of conversations among many Canadians, Bray — a longtime policeman who says he has never used drugs — isn't curious to give it a try. 

"I feel like I would be a hypocrite," he said.