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Surrey teacher disciplined for pot possession 7 years before it was legal in Canada

The B.C. teacher regulation board has suspended an educator after he was charged with a cannabis-related offence prior to legalization. He was later acquitted.
The B.C. teacher regulation board has suspended an educator after he was charged with a cannabis-related offence prior to legalization. He was later acquitted. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Marcio Jose Sanchez

A former teacher-on-call with a Surrey school district has been disciplined by the B.C. commissioner for teacher regulation after he admitted to bringing 46 grams of cannabis to school with him long before the drug was legal in Canada.

According to the ruling, Eugenio Alfonso Bahamonde took his BMW to school with him on Nov. 7, 2012.

Inside the car was nearly 46 grams of cannabis, almost $1,500 in cash, a scale, rolling papers and Ziploc bags, the ruling states.

After the school day ended, Bahamonde reportedly drove to Vancouver, where police saw him parked near Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School.

According to the ruling, officers saw another man get into the car and get out a few minutes later.

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Bahamonde was pulled over, and the car was searched.

He was then arrested and charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Bahamonde was later acquitted because the trial judge ruled the arrest unlawful and the evidence inadmissible, according to the ruling.

Still, Bahamonde was fired from his teacher-on-call role with the Surrey school district, and the commissioner for teacher regulation found his conduct was “unbecoming.”

As a result of the ruling, his teaching certificate has been suspended for one month from Sept. 3 to Oct. 2, 2019.

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