Canadian Cops Are Asking The Government to Delay Weed Legalization

Canada continues preparing to legalize weed by the summer of 2018. But now, Canadian cops are asking the government to delay weed legalization. In particular, they said there isn’t enough time to train officers to enforce a new set of cannabis laws.

Police Ask For Delay

Currently, Canada’s House of Commons health committee is working on the federal government’s mandate to legalize weed. Earlier this year, the government set a timeline that would make weed fully legal by summer 2018.

But that timeline could be facing a challenge. Now,Canadian cops are asking the government to delay weed legalization. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, and the Saskatoon Police Service all voiced opinions recently to the health committee.

And they were all unified in their request to delay legalization, although they cited different reasons. One of the biggest reasons cited by police was that there isn’t enough time to train cops to enforce a new set of cannabis laws.

According to The Canadian Press, OPP Deputy Commissioner Rick Barnum said there could be big problems if the government legalizes as early as it wants to. In particular, he said that officers can’t be thoroughly trained before then.

As a result, he’s worried that there will be a gap of six months to a year during which it will be easy for organized crime to operate. To avoid that, Barnum wants the government to put off legalization for a bit longer. This, he said, would give them time to bring all officers up to speed on how the new laws will work.

Other big concerns had to do with people growing weed at home. Law enforcement representatives said it will be too hard to keep weed away from minors if people are allowed to grow at home. They asked the government to rethink that idea altogether.

Final Hit: Canadian Cops Are Asking The Government to Delay Weed Legalization

Canada is still working to make the summer 2018 deadline. Under the proposed laws, adults will be allowed to buy weed at government-licensed stores. It will be legal to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis. Additionally, adults will be allowed to grow as many as four cannabis plants.

For now, theHouse of Commons health committee is figuring out how to make all this happen in the next year. Now that Canadian cops are asking the government to delay weed legalization, these plans could face some new challenges.

It remains to be seen how the health committee will respond to the request. Along with the issues raised by law enforcement, the country continues working out other big questions.

One of them has to do with where weed would be sold. At times, pharmacies and even liquor stores have expressed a desire to be licensed to sell.