Originally Posted by Gordon Barlow

When I lived in Canada in the mid-1960s, Toronto had "wet wards" and "dry wards". In the latter, it was illegal to drink alcohol in public view. Friends of mine were interviewed and warned by the Police (though not arrested, as far as I can recall) one summer day, for drinking beer while sitting on the window ledge of their rented house - on the second floor, above a mini-balcony, in full view of passers-by!!! Shock,horror!

Another time, soon after I had arrived in TO, I was drinking at a table with new friends after work, when I stood up to take my glass across to another table. A workmate grabbed my shoulder and pulled me roughly down back into my chair, explaining that it was illegal to stand up with a glass in hand. "As soon as you stood up, I saw the bouncer step away from his place by the wall", he said. The law required that I call the bouncer across to carry my glass for me to the other table. That sounds unreal, but it's a true story. Please tell me it's not still like that!

Originally Posted by bats

Ten years ago the stairs in one establishment weren't licensed so if you wanted to move between the 1st and ,2nd floor bars you couldn't take your drink with you. Plus I can drink sitting on my porch,I can drink on my neighbour's porch but I can't cross the road to their place with my wine glass in my hand.

Originally Posted by Gordon Barlow

But - but - I was talking about 50 years ago! Is Toronto a conservative province or what??

Originally Posted by caretaker

Not a province at all.

Originally Posted by BuckinghamshireBoy

I've been watching this thread over the last couple of days, I have an opinion, however I feel it's not my place to post that here, but I do have a couple of questions if I may to help my understanding.

How is cannabis usage 'measured' in driving offences, blood work?

Is it / will it be legal for an individual to grow their own plants, for purely personal consumption?

Originally Posted by Danny B

The person who invents a roadside screening device that detects the THC level in your system will be a very rich person. I'm talking about the equivalent of the alcohol breathalyzer that the Police use now but for Cannabis instead.

Driving under any kind of impairment is bad and should be illegal. That being said if I had to choose being on the road with either a texting driver, drunk, or pot head I would choose the pot head every time.

Originally Posted by Snowy560

The Senate had asked for 40 amendments to the original bill, including one that would have allowed provinces to ban home cultivation. The government rejected that amendment and 12 others, and the Senate ultimately conceded.

The bill that passed allows for people to grow up to four plants at home for personal use. Two provinces, Quebec and Manitoba, still intend to outlaw home cultivation.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44554650

Originally Posted by BuckinghamshireBoy

Ok, my bad phrasing again, even I would have heard of a breathalyzer equivalent being introduced/invented.

What I was getting at is do the police have the ability - or the right - to pull blood at the scene of a suspected motoring offence, or would any test have to be conducted at a police facility, presumably by a doctor. What I'm saying is what's the likely time delay in testing the blood for cannabis? In alcohol related offences, the breathalyzer is an indicator, resulting in a real blood test, but at least 'reasonable suspicion' can be established, which would not necessarily be the case for potential cannabis usage.

I'm not even going to go near questioning levels of THC within the blood...

Originally Posted by Siouxie

Finding a roadside drug test Royal Canadian Mounted Police

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ject-1.3896935

Fear not! they have tests for drug induced impaired driving in hand!


"The "oral fluid" screening systems test saliva for the presence of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids."

Originally Posted by Siouxie

Finding a roadside drug test Royal Canadian Mounted Police
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ject-1.3896935
Fear not! they have tests for drug induced impaired driving in hand!
"The "oral fluid" screening systems test saliva for the presence of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids."

Originally Posted by caretaker

The court challenges will likely be based on proof of and level of impairment, which will vary widely (as with alcohol) according to physique and tolerance. They had tests that could tell if you'd been around drugs long before those oral tests in the links were developed years ago, but proving that 2 or 5 nanograms of thc impairs 250 lb Rudy as much as 140 lb Joe, or that a medical patient taking CBD oil is as unfit to drive as someone who recently smoked cannabis is going to be the court case in the news. Refine the cheek swabs to they can determine that someone has definitely taken cannabis within the past 2 hours (the recommendation I've been hearing) and wring an accepted legal limit out of the system (assuming C-46 is going to be challenged) and then they can enforce the law without clogging the court with appeals.