Premier Doug Ford is accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being absent when it comes to how legal cannabis will be enforced on Canadian roads.
Speaking to the Ontario Provincial Police Association, in The Blue Mountains, Ford said while Trudeau “boasted” about legalizing cannabis in the past,the prime minister has been a “no show” as October 17th approaches.
“When it comes to defending his cannabis plan, he might as well be in the witness protection program” Ford remarked to applause from the crowd.
Ford’s speech came on the same dayhe penned a letter to the prime minister asking for better enforcement tools to deal with the “widespread consumption of a psychoactive drug” in Ontario.
“It’s our understanding that only one device has been approved by Health Canada, a device which may not provide accurate results in cold temperatures,” the letter reads.
“I respectfully ask that you take immediate action to address this critical issue and do whatever it takes to give our police the tools they need to identify and arrest drug-impaired drivers before they put innocent people at risk.“
The federal government approved the first oral fluid drug screening test, the Dräger DrugTest® 5000, in August allowing frontline police officers to detect the presence of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in Cannabis.
However,Toronto Police Service says it hasnot purchased any of those kits,leaving enforcement in the hands of officers trained to deliver field sobriety tests and nearly 2 dozen drug recognition evaluators.
Ontario Attorney General Caroline Mulroney says police officers across the province have been “working non-stop” to train officers on sobriety tests and hire drug recognition experts.
While Mulroney is calling on her federal counterpartto approve more devices, she says Ontario is “ready” for legalization.
