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Legalization day was a historic one for Canada, but a costly one for some Canadians.
Police departments across the country shared stories about tickets and fines handed out on the first day of recreational cannabis being legal.
In St. John’s, N.L., police say they had to issue a ticket to a man accused of having more than 30 grams of weed in a public place.
This came just hours after people lined up outside the province’s cannabis stores for the chance to become the first Canadians to buy legal pot.
A little bit west of that, the Ontario Provincial Police posted a photo to Twitter of a $215 ticket given to someone who allegedly had a bag of cannabis in their car.
“Public safety is our commitment,” said the OPP Central Twitter account. “It is NOT ok for a driver to have marijuana beside them while operating a motor vehicle.”
Public safety is our commitment!!
— OPP Central (@OPP_CR) October 17, 2018
It is NOT ok for a driver to have marijuana beside them while operating a motor vehicle. Arrive alive, drive sober!! #HvilOPP ^JG pic.twitter.com/vJdFsxHvsJ
This fine was certainly contentious and created quite the debate on social media, since there was no evidence or report of the person consuming it.
It left people asking how you’re supposed to transport your cannabis home after purchasing it legally.
A similar fine in Winnipeg certainly wasn’t as contentious, however, as a man was ticketed $672 for allegedly consuming cannabis while driving on the highway.
So … this happened early this morning: A Consume Cannabis in a Motor Vehicle ticket was issued. Just like alcohol, consuming cannabis is legal - and like alcohol, consuming it in your vehicle is **not**. #KnowYourRole pic.twitter.com/RR9AUBv4RN
— Winnipeg Police (@wpgpolice) October 17, 2018
These were just some of the fines made public, but there were certainly other cannabis related tickets handed out across Canada on Wednesday.
In Halifax, bylaw officers were handing out information pamphlets to people they saw smoking cannabis or tobacco outside designated areas.
With files from the Canadian Press.
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