Cannabis legalization officially went live nearly two weeks ago, but it’s safe to say Cranbrook hasn’t descended into the chaos of reefer madness.
Cranbrook RCMP have yet to issue any tickets for cannabis-related offences, while the same goes for City of Cranbrook bylaw officers.
In fact, only one ticket for a cannabis-related violation has been issued locally since legalization and it came from East Kootenay Traffic Services, according to Sgt. Don Erichsen.
The ticket was issued during a road safety check when the investigating officer picked up the smell of cannabis, which wasn’t stored properly or purchased legally.
Winnipeg Police tweeted out a photo of one of the first cannabis-related ticket violations in the early morning of Oct. 17 — a $672 fine for consuming cannabis in a motor vehicle on a highway.
It’s not just the RCMP who can issue violation tickets; City of Cranbrook bylaw officers are also tasked with enforcing local municipal bylaws regulating where the public can consume cannabis.