RCMP NL continues to find drivers in breach of the Cannabis Control Act for having cannabis in their vehicles that is accessible to the driver and occupants. A number of tickets were issued to drivers over this past weekend.
On January 9, 2020, an off-duty RCMP officer from RCMP Traffic Services West observed open cannabis within a truck, parked on the parking lot of a local business. The officer witnessed the passenger light up a joint within the vehicle and watched him exit the vehicle where he continued smoking cannabis in a public place. The officer approached the vehicle and occupants and identified himself as a police officer. The officer observed an open bottle and case of beer within the truck. The driver was assessed for sobriety and was later issued tickets under the Cannabis Control Act and Liquor Control Act.
In the late evening of January 12, 2020, a police officer of Bay Roberts RCMP pulled a vehicle over in Bay Roberts for a burnt out headlight. The driver, a 23-year-old Bishop's Cove man, was found in possession of cannabis that was readily available within the vehicle. Police determined the vehicle was not registered or insured. The driver's licence was suspended, his vehicle seized and impounded and he was ticketed for having cannabis readily available in the vehicle, for expired registration and for not having insurance.
RCMP NL reminds the public that cannabis has been legalized for consumption within a private residence and not within a vehicle or a public place. Cannabis can be transported within a vehicle but is not permitted to be in the vicinity of the driver or occupants of a vehicle unless it is in the package in which it was purchased and the seal is unbroken. Otherwise, all cannabis should be transported in an area of the vehicle that is not readily available, such as the trunk or other cargo area.