The War on Drugs — as far as marijuana is concerned — is officially over in this country, according to a new legislative report on the Cannabis Act released Tuesday..That’s because pot-related arrests are down 95% since 2017, the last year simple possession for adults under 30 grams remained a Criminal Code offence. That year, almost 14,000 people were charged nationally compared to just 624 in 2022, the majority of whom were presumably minors who are still prohibited from using it..Likewise, trafficking charges fell 79%, from nearly 4,000 charges in 2017 to 825 last year. The majority of illegal trafficking in Canada is related to unlicensed online dispensaries, the report notes..By contrast, the number of import/export interdictions at Canadian borders rose 163% although the number of charges fell 40%..The report notes the dramatic increase in people showing up with weed at the border — more than 80% of them — were from people who properly declared to Canada Border Services agents but were “unaware” of continuing restrictions on entering or leaving the country with legally purchased cannabis products..Although estimates on the size of the illegal black market are, by definition, hard to come by, the report estimates the illicit market has shrunk at least 50% in terms of dollar value and as much as 80% in terms of sales but remains the purview of organized crime..The report also notes the illicit cannabis market feeds other illegal activities, such as money laundering and illegal firearms..The report is part of a broader policy review of cannabis laws that will be tabled to Parliament next spring. When cannabis sales became legal in 2018 it came with a stipulation policies surrounding its use and sale would be scrutinized after five years..As part of the review, the panel will make policy recommendations that are due to be tabled in March, 2024..The interim report notes other countries will be watching after Canada became the first G7 nation to fully legalize recreational use, although countries such as the Netherlands and most of the US have been operating under a legal grey area for decades..The independent panel heard from more than 500 community groups, law enforcement agencies and industry participants. .Although “self-reported” driving after cannabis use has declined to 18% from 27% in 2018, so called ‘stoned driving’ remains a concern; most police forces in the country don’t have access to breathalyzer-type devices that would allow them to make an easy determination of impaired driving. Existing procedures for demanding blood tests is still complicated and expensive..And the prevalence is still unknown. However, researchers in BC noted the proportion of drivers involved in injury accidents with THC, the active impairing ingredient, in their systems rose from 3.8% of drivers pre-legalization to 8.6% as of March, 2020..And the number of people applying for pardons remains stubbornly low. Even though pot has been legal for five years, an estimated 250,000 people still have criminal records for simple possession..Unlike the US, which granted blanket pardons for more than a million people, only 706 have been granted in Canada to ‘qualified’ applicants who are responsible for gathering all relevant records and documents before applying. Simply expunging those convictions is an option for consideration..Although there is broad support for public health measures such as plain packaging, industry representatives complained taxation and retail restrictions — pricing — remain onerous and favour illegal dealers..“We also heard about the importance of creating conditions for the legal market's success through relaxing restrictions on promotion, packaging and labelling, increasing the THC quantity for edible cannabis, increasing remote and after-hours access to cannabis, and removing the possession limit to allow higher volume purchases,” it said.
