Police services across the country, including North Bay, are circling October 17th on their calendars.

That’s when recreational cannabis will become legal.

The issue was discussed at Wednesday’s North Bay Police Services Board Meeting.

Police Chief Shawn Devine says they wish had more time to prepare, but realizes they don’t.

He says policing is very resilient, pointing to the changes that have happened over the 30 years he has been in policing.

“We’re always looking at different changes, we don’t think the sky is falling, but it’s going to take some work to work with the new legislation that’s out there,” he says.

Devine says there’s the financial reality of getting officers up to speed on what it all means.

“The back end of the stuff that we’re looking at is the need for new training for our officers. Not necessarily the cost of the training but the cost of back filling officers when they’re receiving the training,” Devine says.

He says police are going to be treating cannabis use the same way as they treat alcohol use in the community.

“Cannabis can be used recreationally in the home, outside of the home it would basically be the same rules that apply to the Liquor License Act, which means you can’t use marijuana or cannabis in your car, you can’t smoke in public places,” Devine says, adding it’s not allowed in workplaces either.

Filed under: Cannabis legalization, Shawn Devine