Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould is giving the green light to a new roadside test to check for drugs.

On Monday, Wilson-Raybould approved the Drager DrugTest 5000 as the first saliva screening equipment to be used by law enforcement to test for THC, the main psychoactive agent in cannabis.

The equipment will now be made available to police forces across the country, but the government says it will still be up to police forces to decide what testing equipment they want to use.

Manufacturers have told the government that they could meet demand for roadside saliva testing equipment within four to six weeks.

Spike in cannabis overdoses blamed on potent edibles, poor public education

Emergency room visits related to cannabis overdoses have more than doubled in Alberta and almost tripled in Ontario over the past three years as health experts decry the lack of proper product labelling and messaging about the responsible use of cannabis products.

A close-up of a red sign with white lettering and an arrow pointing to a hospital emergency department.

Parents should be prepared for longer wait times in the emergency room at B.C. Children's Hospital during the holiday season.

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Neil MacIntosh, right, supervisor at The Rex jazz bar in Toronto, says he has personally witnessed three different patrons in medical distress at the bar from cannabis overdoses in the past year.

Neil MacIntosh

Many Canadians driving after consuming cannabis, according to new StatsCan data

A troubling new survey from Statistics Canada says that more than a million Canadians have reported being the passenger in a vehicle driven by someone who has consumed cannabis within two hours of driving.

As of July 1, 2018, Ontario will have tougher drug-impaired driving laws, including a "zero tolerance for young and novice drivers and commercial drivers.

driving stoned 

One in seven cannabis users with a driver's licence said they had got behind the wheel at least once within two hours of using the drug in the past three months.

Canada can learn from Colorado's experience with driving while high, expert says

Colorado had a four-year head start when it comes to enforcing driving under the influence laws in a legalized cannabis state. The state's highway safety manager talks about ways Canada can learn from that.

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The state of Colorado has trained 250 law enforcement officers to spot high drivers

Legislation that passed Parliament in June allows for the use of roadside saliva tests to detect the presence of drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.

The Liberals have pledged $161 million in funding for police training and drug-testing equipment over the next five years, as well as a public awareness campaign about the perils of driving while high.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police said last month that it is unlikely to reach its goal of having 2,000 officers trained to spot drug-impaired drivers when marijuana becomes legal later this year.

Cannabis will become legal for recreational use on Oct. 17.

Police forces across the country have been asking the federal government for clarity around roadside tests for drug impaired driving as cannabis legalization nears.

Liberals approve first saliva screening roadside test for marijuana

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