WRPS puts no time limit on when officers can use cannabis before duty

Officers with the Waterloo Regional Police Service will be able to use cannabis off-duty, and there is no time limit assigned to when they must stop using it before they are on duty.

"Our expectation is that we have a zero tolerance policy for impairment at work," WRPS Chief Bryan Larkin said.

"The onus is on the member to ensure that they are healthy, fit and ready to perform whatever function it is within our organization."

In a policy presented at a police services board meeting Wednesday, WRPS said it was dedicated to making sure all officers are "fit for duty and able to perform assigned duties at all times" when on duty.

Supervisors, such as sergeants, will get training on how to assess if an officer is fit for duty, according to the policy.

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The policy outlines that officers should abstain from using any drug before or during their shift, but there are no restrictions on the amount of time officers must abstain from marijuana before going to work, Larkin said.

The policy says the force will be educating officers on fitness for duty as well as how to asses and maintain their own fitness for duty.

Police services across the country have come out with their own cannabis policies, with varying levels of restriction.

In Calgary, officers are not allowed to smoke marijuana off duty. In Toronto, officers are not allowed to use recreational cannabis within 28 days of reporting for duty.