Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I was talking to the Minister of Justice about the legalization of cannabis here. Can the Minister advise this House: has the federal government set the legal consumption limit for driving while under the influence of cannabis? If they haven't, when will this be coming forth? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member opposite will know, not from personal experience, but from his experience as a JP, there currently is, under section 253, an offence of operating a motor vehicle when impaired by alcohol or a drug. What the federal government is attempting to do, as they have done with alcohol where you hear about the 0.08 limit, they are trying to impose a similar scientific limit on the amount of marijuana allowed to be in the system of someone operating a motor vehicle.
The proposed THC level for a summary offence is two nanograms per millilitre of blood, and for a hybrid offence, it is five nanograms. If it is a combination of alcohol and drugs, I think the alcohol limit would be 0.05, which is lower than the current legal limit, and the level is 2.5 nanograms. The 30-day public comment here for the proposed regulations is running until November 13, 2017, so I can't be very certain as to when this important piece of federal legislation will come into law. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister for his answer. While reading on this topic, I noticed there are a number of roadside screening devices out there. I am wondering: has the federal government informed us which device they will be using, and have we made necessary arrangements to order these?
I understand that there are several different devices that might meet the standards. Public Safety Canada did announce in early September that they would be providing funding up to $161 million over five years for training front-line officers. It appears that there are several different devices that might or may be used, and the federal government clearly is prepared to foot the bill for pretty extensive training.
Thank you to the Minister. An article from CBC Saskatoon about a study by Public Safety Canada tested two testing devices at seven detachments, including Yellowknife. Has the Minister or the department received this report, and has he been able to tell us what the results were with those two devices?
I can advise that I have not personally received or reviewed the report, but I do understand that it has been received by the department. I am also aware that there are some concerns that some of these devices may not work in extreme cold, but the RCMP are looking into this matter to make sure that when the devices are received and utilized, they do give a proper reading.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
