Nova Scotia introduced Thursday an amendment to the Cannabis Control Act to clarify the standard of reasonableness required to search a place or vehicle.
In a recent provincial court case, the province said the section of the act that deals with search and seizure was found to “lack clarity and ruled statutorily invalid.”
This means police investigating violations under the act will need to have “reasonable grounds to believe” they will find illegal cannabis before conducting a search.
Currently, the act allows an officer to conduct a search “at any reasonable time.”
“Public health and safety are the primary goals of our cannabis legislation, but it is equally important that the charter rights of Nova Scotia are protected from unreasonable searches,” Brad Johns, minister of justice and attorney general, said in a release.
“We believe this amendment strikes that balance.”