One year after the legalization of recreational use of cannabis in Canada, the black market for the drug — as well as its use behind the wheel — continues to keep Quebec police forces busy.
In 2018, police collected 795 blood samples from motorists suspected of driving while under the influence, and sent them to Quebec’s medical legal centre for processing. That’s 254 more than in the previous year. The presence of cannabis was detected in 46 per cent of those cases.
More than 670 officers trained in drug use evaluation have been deployed across the province. (WHAT MORE Law Enforcement? Legalization was supposed to “slash the cost of law enforcement and add to the bottom line of the budget!”)
IMeanwhile, raids on illegal outdoor cannabis fields were carried out in August and September, and saw 37,000 plants seized.
Over the past year, the SQ seized 71,500 cannabis plants, 161 kilograms of cannabis, 15.8 kilograms of cannabis oil and resin, 23,460 units of edible cannabis and $180,000 in cash.
