We have been covering the statements of the nations top law enforcement officials in regards to how they feel about enforcing current cannabis laws. They all echo the same sentiment, which is that the laws on the books will still be enforced just as they have been in the past.
Dana Larsen came up with the following figure of how many cannabis arrests have been made since Justin Trudeau became prime minister. Over 22,400 arrests have been made, which is the same as 160 per day or one arrest every nine minutes.
The man who Trudeau appointed to head the legalization effort, former police chief Bill Blair, admits that the number of arrests currently is “shocking” but he still wants the law enforced just as it has been. The recent decision in the Allard case is seen as a victory by the cannabis community, but they are still advocating that government simply stop these arrests since legalization is on the way. A new petition has been launched, with over 10,000 signatures already, which calls for an immediate end to cannabis prohibition.
Recently a BC judge found that the mandatory minimum sentences handed down over cannabis charges are “grossly disproportionate.”
We will keep following the criminal justice actions of the Canadian government and law enforcement when it comes to cannabis.