With the clock ticking towards the legalization of marijuana in Canada many police departments across the country have concerns, including the Winkler Police Service.
    
Winkler Police Chief Rick Hiebert said there are still many loose ends to tie up and loopholes to close, and there's a lot of concern about how they're going to keep streets safe.
    
Hiebert says the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (C.A.C.P.) is actively pushing the government for more time to prepare ahead of legalization. 

At this point, Hiebert said there is no real scientific way to accurately test levels of marijuana, and work is still being done to define a limit. 

"There are definitely concerns from the police community about how to enforce this, and ultimately how to keep our communities safe," said Hiebert.

Hiebert noted the C.A.C.P. is also lobbying the government in the area of awareness. 

"I believe they're pushing the government to have them put out campaigns, awareness, education, and so forth. There's a lot of awareness campaigns about drunk driving, and I'm anticipating that the federal government will be releasing those types of campaigns in relation to drug-impaired driving as well."

The federal government's incoming legalization of marijuana was also a concern at a recent town hall meeting with Morden-Winkler MLA Cameron Friesen, with some suggesting usage of the drug will increase. One teacher suggested, while many students understand smoking cigarettes is harmful to their health, many believe marijuana is healthy.
    
Another concern was the potential added danger on Manitoba roads. 

"It's bringing another hazard on the road, it doesn't make sense to me," one resident said.

The federal government plans to legalize pot by July 2018.

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