Police in Winnipeg say they are targeting cannabis store customers as part of an ongoing impaired driving enforcement campaign. 

Between January and March 2025, the Winnipeg Police Service Central Traffic Division launched an enforcement campaign that they say focused on drivers under the influence of cannabis and other illicit drugs. 

During the campaign, officers conducted 302 traffic stops and administered 207 drug screening tests using approved screening equipment. Nearly half of those drivers (97) tested positive for recent cannabis consumption. This was similar to the rate of those tested in a similar campaign in 2024. 

All drivers faced an immediate roadside suspension of their licence. Only one driver was said to have been charged criminally for refusing to be tested.

Officers also issued 86 Provincial Offence Act notices during this year’s campaign, including 19 for the improper storage of cannabis within a vehicle and four for consuming cannabis inside a vehicle. 

Similar to alcohol, cannabis in a vehicle must be stored out of reach of the driver and any passengers unless it is in its original, unopened packaging. 

Winnipeg Police Patrol Sgt. Stephane Fontaine said during a press conference that he focused the campaign on areas around the more than 100 cannabis stores in Winnipeg. 

“There are over 130 or so dispensaries throughout the City of Winnipeg, so what I did was I made a plan to basically target those areas where there’s dispensaries and we watched the traffic coming to and from those known shops,” Fontaine said. “The officers still have to form the proper grounds to make all of their lawful demands… but that’s where they spent their time.”

He also noted that many of these individuals were testing positive on their way to a cannabis store, although he did not indicate how officers knew their destination. Fontaine added that most drivers who tested positive for THC were found between 3pm and 6pm, which he notes is different from enforcement against those impaired by alcohol.

Police in Winnipeg recommend not driving for 12 hours after consuming edible cannabis products. 

Penalties for driving while impaired by cannabis can include: criminal charges, loss of one’s driver’s licence, vehicle impoundment, and fines. Police can use both oral testing equipment and assessments by Drug Recognition Officers. 

In Canada, drivers with over two nanograms of THC but under five nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood can face a straight summary conviction offence. 

Drivers found with over five nanograms of THC in their blood can face a drug-alone hybrid offence.

Drivers found with at or over 2.5 ng of THC per ml of blood combined with 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood can face a hybrid offence.

The penalty for the summary conviction offence is a maximum fine of $1,000. 

The penalties for the two hybrid offences are the same as for alcohol-impaired driving. These include mandatory minimum penalties of a $1,000 fine for a first offence, 30 days imprisonment for a second offence, and 120 days imprisonment for a third offence.

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