A Yarmouth driver who smoked a joint while an RCMP officer chatted with drivers a few cars ahead of him at a roadside checkpoint last week fessed up when asked if he had smoked any dope recently. A Yarmouth driver who smoked a joint while an RCMP officer chatted with drivers a few cars ahead of him at a roadside checkpoint last week fessed up when asked if he had smoked any dope recently.

Yup, he said. Like, 30 seconds ago.

But was the 20-something man’s seatbelt securely fastened? Absolutely.

Was he co-operative? Yes.

And was the odour of that freshly smoked joint still wafting through the air as the cops waved him up? Yeah, but he seemed fine, so after he put his small stash of dope into the outstretched hand of a Mountie, he was on his way.

But smoking a joint while waiting in line at an RCMP checkpoint may not be the smartest thing to do, said Cpl. Andy Hamilton of the RCMP’s western traffic services.

"I don’t know the exact distance, but it wasn’t very far (back in the line)," Hamilton said.

"I can’t get into this guy’s mind, but he felt comfortable enough to light a joint within eyesight of the police, probably figuring he’d finish it off before he gets there and no one will be the wiser."

When he got to the front of the line, the joint was gone but the Mounties noticed other evidence.