Canada's Attorney General has just approved a cannabis roadside saliva drug test to be used by Canadian police.
In June, the Canadian parliament approved Bill C-45, which will make Canada the second country in the world to legalize adult-use recreational cannabis. This bill will go into place on October 17th.
Impaired Driving Laws
In the ramp up for the new bill, the Canadian government is putting in a serious overhaul of its current impaired driving laws. Currently, there hasn't been an accurate way for police officers to assess if individuals are driving under the influence while using cannabis products.
Now, Canadian police have a new tool that they can use in these scenarios that has just been approved by the Canadian government—the cannabis roadside saliva drug test.
Currently, police officers use the sobriety test to check impairments of the drivers they suspect are high. Still, determining cannabis intoxication is a tricky deal. THC blood levels are not a good indication of toxicity, so now they must turn to saliva.
Draeger 5000
The German-manufactured roadside saliva drug test, Draeger DrugTest 5000, allows Canadian police to swab a driver's mouth and test for THC immediately. This swab can also test for cocaine.
Public Safety Canada conducted a pilot program with the Draeger last year and showed that the devices were helpful to Canadian police officers. This device is currently used in Germany and the UK.
When recreational cannabis sales become legal across Canada, Canadian police officers will be able to perform swabs on drivers at their own discretion.
Many expect there to be some backlash when it comes to defense lawyers, as the new Bill C-46 can charge drivers with impairment just on the presence of THC. Word of caution Canadian drivers, make sure you don't have any THC in your system before getting behind a wheel, or you could face serious charges.
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