Driving while stoned crackdown catches 64 drivers

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This article was published 06/03/2024 (608 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police suspended the licences of 64 drivers who were found to be stoned during a recent crackdown on impaired driving.

Traffic officers pulled over 243 drivers, who were mostly near cannabis shops, during the enforcement campaign Jan. 16 to Feb. 24.

Officers tested the saliva of 148 of the drivers and determined that 64 of them had taken some form of cannabis three to four hours before driving.

Police handed out 36 provincial offence tickets for improper storage of cannabis in a vehicle and consuming cannabis in a vehicle as a passenger.

“Our tactics are similar as they would be with alcohol, if you’re looking for someone who may be under the influence of alcohol, well, you’re going to go to either to a bar or a restaurant or a vendor, somewhere that product is accessible,” said traffic division Patrol Sgt. Stephane Fontaine.

“Similar tactics were used for cannabis. The officers focused their attention to who’s coming and going to local dispensaries.”

Fontaine said drivers were given licence suspensions rather than being hit with criminal charges.

After a traffic stop, Fontaine said, officers would talk with a driver and determine whether they had reasonable grounds to test them for cannabis. They used one of two machines that test saliva for THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in pot.

The campaign, launched with Manitoba Public Insurance and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, sought to alert the public to the danger of driving while high.

— Staff