Timmins Police Chief John Gauthier says the service is putting the finishing touches on a policy that will regulate its officers’ use of cannabis while off duty.
Timmins Police Chief John Gauthier says the service is putting the
finishing touches on a policy that will regulate its officers’ use of
cannabis while off duty.
Gauthier did not provide specifics during the police services board meeting late last week, but he did mention during the discussion strict regulations that are being put in place by other policing agencies.
He mentioned the RCMP and Toronto Police Service are both eying a rule that would bar cannabis use by members within 28 days of a shift.
The Calgary police service’s policy is even stricter, forbidding the vast majority of its officers from consuming marijuana at all.
“As it relates to here, I’m going to come up with something that I think is fair and appropriate,” said Gauthier. “There are so many unknowns. We don’t know what the elimination of THC (the principle psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) is in somebody’s body.”
Gauthier said his deputy chief, Henry Dacosta, is a breathalyzer technician who “could tell you almost to the number, what the elimination rate is through your system (for alcohol). Right now, we can’t do it with a lot of degree of certainty when it comes to THC. We don’t know what that is.”
Gauthier said they will develop an internal policy which they can always revise later.
“Moving forward, if we come up with a number which is five hours, 10 hours, 28 days, 24 hours – because this is an operating procedure, I can then go back as the science gets a little more clearer for us and change our internal policies if I have to.”
Not every large police service has imposed restrictions on cannabis use by its officers.
The Ottawa and Vancouver police services are among those with permissive policies that allow off-duty cannabis use with no time restrictions, as long as officers show up ready and able to do their jobs.
Gauthier did not provide specifics during the police services board meeting late last week, but he did mention during the discussion strict regulations that are being put in place by other policing agencies.
He mentioned the RCMP and Toronto Police Service are both eying a rule that would bar cannabis use by members within 28 days of a shift.
The Calgary police service’s policy is even stricter, forbidding the vast majority of its officers from consuming marijuana at all.
“As it relates to here, I’m going to come up with something that I think is fair and appropriate,” said Gauthier. “There are so many unknowns. We don’t know what the elimination of THC (the principle psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) is in somebody’s body.”
Gauthier said his deputy chief, Henry Dacosta, is a breathalyzer technician who “could tell you almost to the number, what the elimination rate is through your system (for alcohol). Right now, we can’t do it with a lot of degree of certainty when it comes to THC. We don’t know what that is.”
Gauthier said they will develop an internal policy which they can always revise later.
“Moving forward, if we come up with a number which is five hours, 10 hours, 28 days, 24 hours – because this is an operating procedure, I can then go back as the science gets a little more clearer for us and change our internal policies if I have to.”
Not every large police service has imposed restrictions on cannabis use by its officers.
The Ottawa and Vancouver police services are among those with permissive policies that allow off-duty cannabis use with no time restrictions, as long as officers show up ready and able to do their jobs.
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