A drug-impaired driver could face up to 10 years in prison. Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould introduced major changes to the country’s impaired driving laws Thursday, including provisions that will allow for mandatory roadside alcohol screening and new criminal offences for driving while high.
The legislation, introduced concurrently with the government’s cannabis legalization bill, will allow police to demand a driver provide an “oral fluid sample” — saliva — if they suspect a driver is drug impaired. A positive reading could lead to further testing, including a blood test, to determine whether a criminal offence has been committed.
Three new drug-related offences will be also be created for drivers who have consumed drugs within two hours of driving. A driver who is found to have two nanograms but less than five nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood could face a maximum fine of up to $1,000 (THC is the primary psychoactive found in cannabis).
John Paul Tasker – CBC News – Apr 13, 2017.