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‘It was a seamless transition for us,’ said Peterborough’s deputy police chief on legalization of cannabis

Cannabis plants at a Organigram production facility are pictured on Oct. 12, 2018. Callum Smith/Global News

The air in Peterborough is a little funkier these days.

“Other than you notice a lot more of the smell of marijuana around, things are good. It was a seamless transition for us,” Tim Farquharson said.

It’s been nine days since Canadians could purchase pot. In Ontario, that means using the Ontario Cannabis Store, online only, and only if you’re 19 years of age or older.

There are rules about when and where pot can and can’t be used and how it can be transported. The deputy chief says even the police are getting used to all the rules.

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“We’re not 100 per cent on every rule. The wordings for the charges aren’t necessarily perfectly done yet, so with new legislation, you have to have that period of being fair to people,” Farquharson said.

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WATCH: Peterborough prepares for marijuana legalization

Farquharson says the police isn’t focusing solely on impaired drivers right now.

“Illegal dispensaries was something identified in Peterborough,” Farquharson said. “Selling to youth is a huge concern to the public, and impaired driving — those are going to be our concentrations in police. [I’m] not saying we’re not going to do other things.”

In April 2019, the provincial government says it will begin opening private, legal storefronts across Ontario which will allow people to purchase cannabis in person.

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