Pot rules, penalties in line with tobacco, alcohol: Manitoba ministers

The province has issued new legislation surrounding where Manitobans will be able to smoke marijuana and how it will protect against drug impaired driving.

Bill-25 was introduced by Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen and will prohibit smoking and vaping cannabis in outdoor public spaces, including:

• streets and sidewalks
• parks and beaches
• school grounds
• restaurant patios and decks
• health care facility grounds.

It follows similar laws already in place for smoking and drinking in public.

The legislation essentially will allow Manitobans to only smoke weed on private property such as their homes.

RELATED: Manitoba says no to homegrown pot, unveils legal age to buy

Manitobans who are caught smoking or vaping in banned areas will be fined in line with current smoking fines.

A first offence fine between $100 – $500.

For a second offence that range is between $200 – $750.

If you get caught a third time the fine increases to between $300 – $1,000.

The one thing the new bill does not address is regulations around where edibles can be taken.

“It’s a more complex issue,” Goertzen said. “We haven’t seen what the federal government wants to do when it comes to those.”

Bill-26 was introduced by Justice Minister Heather Stefanson and deals with new sanctions to ensure no one gets behind the wheel of a car after consuming cannabis.

This change affects the Impaired Driving Offences Act and includes a new roadside oral fluid screening device.

RELATED: Province unveils four companies approved to sell pot in Manitoba

The government rolled out their plan for how legalized pot will be sourced and sold in December, and named four companies given approval to retail pot in the province last month.Municipalities have been given the choice as to whether they will allow retail outlets or not.

The federal government originally said they wanted weed legal by this summer, but that has since been pushed back.