Municipal police forces concerned with Health Canada’s new medical marijuana regulations are lobbying to have a hand in the process.

“The … concern is that information we have locally isn’t getting up to the decision makers,” Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen said. “There’s a lot of information about contact that individuals have with their local police service that doesn’t fit on the federal database.”

Wednesday, the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board supported a resolution adopted by the Durham Regional Police Services Board. It asks the government to consult with local police forces before giving licences to grow and sell marijuana, and also to inform them when one has been issued.

“It may not be directly a criminal offence or an offence against the Controlled Drug and Substances Act, but maybe other violations that any governance board would want to have in their information packet when deciding whether or not an individual or organization is suitable for that licence,” Pedersen continued.

The new program was set to come into effect April 1 and would have removed the right to grow it for personal use. Health Canada would have stopped producing it as well. Instead, people could apply to become licensed producers and, if approved, grow and ship it commercially to licensed users Canada-wide. However, with numerous lawsuits underway challenging it, those with current licences to possess and grow marijuana may continue to do so until a decision in the cases is made.

Pedersen said it’s anticipated the Marijuana for Medical Purposes program will create extra work for police.

“I certainly expect that’s what going to happen is there is going to be more marijuana on the streets in our communities. Without trying to sound like the sky is falling, I think it’s logical for us all to realize when we do have medical marijuana in our community, (it) gets out in our community and anytime that’s out there, there will be people using it not for the purpose it’s intended.

“That, of course, can result in all sorts of crimes – from retaliatory crimes to impaired by drugged driving crimes. That is the extra workload pressure we expect will come to our organization.”

laura.stricker@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @LauraStricker