Peace officers may help in cannabis crackdown ‘down the line’: N.S. Justice Minister

CITYnews halifax / By Steve Gow

Nova Scotia’s Justice Minister is clearing the air on legislation put forward to expand the Cannabis Control Act to broaden enforcement.

In February, the provincial government introduced a bill that would increase fines and allow peace officers to enforce cannabis rules alongside police. According to the province, examples of peace officers include special constables, such as conservation officers.

Justice Minister Scott Armstrong wants to clarify confusion about who is currently allowed to enforce the law, noting only police and RCMP officers have the authority.

However, Armstrong says the province could work to bring on tobacco and alcohol enforcement officers.

“We may work with Service Nova Scotia down the line to allow those peace officers to also enforce it,” Armstrong told reporters on Wednesday. “But we would have to do some training, we would have to do some certification. We would have to make sure we have the same oversight we do with the RCMP, so I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

Related:

• Peace officers may help in cannabis crackdown ‘down the line’: N.S. Justice Minister
• Chief in N.S. says Mi’kmaq have a treaty right to sell cannabis amid new RCMP raids
• New bill would increase fines, enforcement powers for illegal cannabis in Nova Scotia

Armstrong adds there will be no new unit of police agency created for cannabis control, noting that, unlike a province the size of Ontario, Nova Scotia does not have the resources for such an agency to exist.

His comments come as RCMP officers continue cracking down on unlicensed cannabis stores, with most of the targeted sites having Indigenous ties.