Adjustment of Canadian Federal Police Department's Cannabis Use Policy

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the federal police agency in Canada, has recently made adjustments to its marijuana usage policy. They have eliminated the previous provision that prohibited frontline officers and employees involved in sensitive or security-related matters from using recreational marijuana within four weeks before work. This change brings the RCMP's policy more in line with the marijuana usage regulations of other police forces.

The National Police Federation has welcomed this change, stating that the previous policy was not in line with the overall consistency in the law enforcement sector. Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation, stated in a press release that the union committee has been calling for a review and modernization of cannabis policies since 2020.

A new policy has been implemented, stating that all employees must be able to fulfill their duties without being under the influence of drugs, alcohol or any other substances while on duty or at work. The policy also explicitly states that drug use may have negative impacts on job performance, behavior, and the work environment, potentially endangering the safety of police services.

According to the new policy, the use of substances such as marijuana may affect employees' performance of their duties, and the specific circumstances will vary depending on individual factors, frequency of use, and product quality. Therefore, the policy emphasizes that the most effective measure to mitigate safety risks is to avoid using these substances.