BRAUN: Reefer Madness? Not Just Yet
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Are more people driving while impaired by drugs since cannabis was legalized?
Probably not.
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According to OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, there’s been no big uptick in drug-impaired driving since last October.
“We’ve seen some increase, but it’s not huge,” he told the Toronto Sun recently.
A driver who fails a standardized field sobriety test, during which physical coordination and mental acuity will be assessed, may be seen by a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) for further testing.
“What’s determined is whether the person is impaired on drugs, and if so, what kind of drugs,” said Schmidt. “And if the person is considered impaired, they will be charged.”
That seems straightforward.
But out in Edmonton, cops have seen their drug-impaired arrests jump from three to 53 in the first six months after legalization — an increase of about 1,600%
What’s up with that?
According to Sgt. Robert Davis, of the Edmonton Police Service, those figures simply reflect officer preparedness.
“It’s the difference between our service being better prepared and ready for dealing with drug-impaired drivers,” said Davis.
Does he think legalization has prompted more cannabis use?
He does not.
What did change, says Davis, is that the police in Edmonton devoted a lot of time and resources to getting everyone ready for legal weed.
Starting in the fall of 2017, members were trained in standardized field sobriety testing and to be DREs. The service also trained 2,000 frontline officers so they too would know how to identify a drug-impaired driver.
Why frontline officers?
“Impaired driving is anything but simple when it comes to the investigative parts of it. And it’s confusing,” Davis says. “So we try to break it down for them so they know what to look for and who to call and how to use these resources we’ve trained.”
In Toronto and Edmonton, police stop drivers who are impaired by both drugs and alcohol — and both services tend to go forward with the alcohol charges as that’s just faster and more efficient.
Or as they say in Edmonton, “Drunk or high — same rules apply.”
The city and the police worked together in Edmonton on a public education blitz in advance of cannabis legalization. And the police pulled out all the stops to be sure the service was ready when the change came.
“I wanted to be able to say we did everything in our power to ensure our service and our membership was ready,” said Davis. “We want to do the best we can for our city, make our city safer. That’s the end game.”
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