Canada’s War on Pot Just Got Weirder
Posted on February 14, 2013 by Douglas
Prohibition took another strange turn this week when it was reported that RCMP officers in Alberta have started to strap on snowboards and patrol the Lake Louise and Nakiska ski resorts in an effort to deter “substance abuse”.
From the CBC:
The officers, who are in uniform and carrying weapons, are focusing their attention on substance abuse on the chairlifts and gondolas.
“It’s going to deter people from bringing narcotics or have that second look of doing something on the ski hill because they know there is going to be a police presence,” said RCMP Cpl. Jeff Campbell, the detachment commander in Lake Louise. (…)
Two officers will be on patrol Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as well as holidays including March break and Easter weekend. RCMP hope to expand the program once they have more officers certified.”
While the RCMP ski patrol is a volunteer program, it is still very much official police business and carries the full weight of the law. The program has been in effect since December with the primary focus being to deter skiers and snowboarders from using “narcotics”, but has thus far resulted in just one minor cannabis seizure.
Officials from Lake Louise have gone on record welcoming the RCMP presence, but have also made a point of clarifying that crime isn’t an issue at the resort, which raises a number of questions as to why such a program even exists.
With 65% of Canadians in favour of either legalizing or decriminalizing cannabis, should the RCMP really be expanding their efforts to clamp down on casual use?
The RCMP is touting the ski patrols as a “pro-active policing initiative” but given that neither ski hill (nor any ski hill for that matter) has any real need for a police presence, is it an appropriate and responsible use of police resources?
This program, which explicitly promotes the additional enforcement of a highly unpopular law, is emblematic of a much larger problem: the growing disconnect between the RCMP and the Canadian public.
An Ipsos-Reid poll from late December on public confidence in the RCMP found that support for the mounties has decreased sharply over the past five years.
In January, Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, held a summit with law enforcement officials from across the country to discuss the economics of policing. The purpose of the summit was to examine policing costs, which reached a whopping $12.6 billion in 2011, and to discuss ways to make policing in Canada more efficient and cost-effective.
As the cost of policing becomes increasingly unsustainable and confidence in the RCMP heads downhill, chasing after pot-smoking snowboarders seems like a rather absurd waste of police resources.
So how could Canada lower its policing costs and repair public confidence in the RCMP?
One of the simplest solutions to these two critical problems would be to regulate and tax cannabis.
This would free up police resources currently being wasted on the suppression of a substance that the majority of Canadians think should not be illegal, while at the same time restoring faith in police officers by removing the burden of such an unpopular law.
If you’d like to learn more about how the CDPC is working to change cannabis law in Canada, please sign up for our email alerts and we’ll keep you up to date.
73 responses
 RCMPisaJOKE says:
February 14, 2013 at 8:27 pm
Easy, I’ll just eat pot brownies before I go boarding. What a waste of money the RCMP is……….
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 KitkatCanabis says:
February 15, 2013 at 7:45 am
It’s volunteer policing, as in auxiliary officers who suit up and snowboard in uniform as a simple deterrent, these officers are not paid, at all.
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 galiwheelin says:
February 15, 2013 at 9:26 am
Whenever I talk to officers on the hill in bc, they might be volunteering their time for the day but they have their passes and transportation paid for by the taxpayer. Such a waste of money and I know it doesn’t deter anyone from smoking weed or having a beer on the chair.
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 Adam Zidartha says:
February 15, 2013 at 11:24 am
Exactly
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 Marv says:
February 15, 2013 at 1:05 pm
If they are carrying weapons they are not auxiliary. Auxiliary are not aloud to carry guns, if that is what they meant by weapons?
 nik moise says:
February 16, 2013 at 10:46 am
Its nice to see that my tax dollars are gonna supply the rcmp with nicer toys than I can’t afford. Not to mention that this is just an embarrassment to what our government can accomplish.
 Jamie Williams says:
February 14, 2013 at 8:37 pm
This is ridiculous, I’m pretty sure anyone who is smoking pot on the ski hill could easily out shred the po-po it’s like part of a funny movie
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 Scott says:
February 14, 2013 at 8:41 pm
Seems like some RCMP wanted to do some free snow boarding to me. One bust? Thats it? So how much did this program cost to bust one person? You could probably hire more officers that you keep saying you can’y afford and deploy them in places that have real crime. I bet if you look into whose Idea this was, he would be a snowboard enthusiast. He would have also spent as much time as possible on “patrol”. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 -80 hours a week. We should check the overtime schedules.Are any of these questions answerable by access to information act?
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 CharlieR says:
February 16, 2013 at 7:25 am
I couldn’t have said it better myself. They just wanted to do some ‘free’ snowboarding. They should be busying themselves earning our tax dollars by fighting REAL VIOLENT CRIME.
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 Skier says:
February 18, 2013 at 9:01 pm
They do fight “real crime violent crime” 12 hours/day, 4 days/week. They risk their lives to keep you safe. Why are you hating on them getting to VOLUNTEER on their days off to help out a ski hill?
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 James says:
February 14, 2013 at 9:46 pm
This is the silliest thing I’ve seen in a while. What a stupid waste of resources. Hey guys, there are real crimes being committed that you should probably be looking into. Unfortunately, a lot of them seem to be being done by the RCMP lately…
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 Ben says:
February 15, 2013 at 5:52 am
Wow I would never knowingly spend money at a resort that encouraged this. I spend money to ride without harassment, likely with a small buzz. Dangerous criminal that I am. Also I’m sure that although the officers “vollenteer” taxpayers are paying for the training, uniforms and sick leave resulting from crashes. Bs go skiing on your own nickle boys…
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 bobby says:
February 15, 2013 at 6:32 am
GREAT idea! Breaking the law is breaking the law! And as for out boarding the officer… try Out boarding a 9mm!
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 Nate says:
February 15, 2013 at 9:26 am
The world would be a much better place without comments like your. Kill someone for making a personal decision? Does that sound right? Just because its a law doesn’t make it right or just.
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 Steve says:
February 15, 2013 at 10:07 am
Your comment is insane, and you should really think before posting something so stupid about killing someone over smoking pot on a ski hill. I don’t smoke anymore, but I use to on the ski hills off in the bushes. It’s not hurting anyone. What’s next? Cops on the hills with a breathalyzer handing out DUI’s? Come on, what a joke. They should be handling the real drug problems out there.
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 sue says:
February 15, 2013 at 8:13 am
The article itself mentions that it is a volunteer basis, meaning they are not getting paid. They are doing this on their days off and I for one appretiate it. There is no reason to complain about wasted resources when there is no cost to the tax payer. In the end, marijuana is still illegal and I for one can’t stand the smoke. If it is discourteous to smoke legal cigarettes surrounded by people, why is illiegal marijuana acceptable? I don’t want my kids inhaling that stuff and my youngest is so sensitive to smoke in general. Good for them in cutting down on this illegal nuissance.
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 Ben says:
February 15, 2013 at 3:34 pm
As was mentioned in the comments above, the officers may not be getting paid for their ‘work hours’, but the travel expenses to/from the resort, equipment, and passes are probably paid for by the RCMP. Also, the resort itself also claims not to have a problem with crime.
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 Free Man says:
February 16, 2013 at 5:23 am
Totally agree. It’s not free to the taxpayer if we fork out costs for travel, food, and passes. People that accept this wast in taxpayers money seserve this country to go into finacial ruin. Volunteer your time at the bottom of the hill doing check stops if you want.
If you want understanding by the public pay for all that stuff yourselves like everyone else does.
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 tee baagg says:
February 17, 2013 at 9:52 am
Also think about the police issue snow gear. That stuff is not cheap and depending on the brand could make it very expensive. However we are all just speculating about the details of how this program is funded. It should be part of the article. Would someone who knows please comment or would the publisher please write a followup article?
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Skier says:
February 18, 2013 at 9:07 pm
The above comments are dumb and not researched. At Big White they pay for their own transportation, food, and equipment. They get the same deal that any volunteer ski patrol gets. Which you can do too if you sign and do the first aid course. It is not costing tax payers anything and it’s on their days off.
 Brad says:
February 15, 2013 at 9:17 am
I can see why they do this i lived in banff for a year and we use to smoke out the gondola’s all the time. I can see them being mad when families get on after and it is hotboxed. There are tonnes of spots on every hill you can go to and smoke up out of sight just keep it from the gondola’s and lifts 
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 David says:
February 15, 2013 at 9:56 am
I would say the police are at the hill for more then just policing marijuana. It will deter drinking and driving after seeing police on the hill. It will ensure quick response times to disputes, thefts, sudden deaths, missing skiers, or other crimes on the hill. Police are first aid trained, and are experts at dealing with people in Emergency Situations. Plus it is free, Voluntary Overtime(VOT) ask any good police officer about the extra time they put into the job because they care. The writer is not pointing out the positives, because who would want to read that. TYPICAL MEDIA.
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 Seb says:
February 15, 2013 at 10:58 am
Actually, although these off duty mounties are volunteering for this “service” they will not be the ones paying for their lift ticket, riding gear, and any other costs involved such as paid time off in the case of an incident or transportation. That comes out of the tax payers pocket I can assure you. As for the quick response to emergencies? ski resorts are more than capable of handling their own problems are they have a highly trained team experienced in exactly the kind of emergencies that happen in and around a ski area… Get real, theres few if any positives to this other than these mounties getting to ski for free.
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David says:
February 15, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Some gear(some officer owned) and lift tickets are paid by the mountain, because they want this service. This has nothing to due with the taxpayers. The uniform is already issued to every officer out of training. (No difference to tax payers) RCMP has a great medical plan wether injuries are from on duty or off.(No difference to tax payers) The fact of the matter is the hills want police to come, do some patrols and be a positive presents. Maybe all your interactions with police are negative, but that is not true with everyone. If you don’t research something don’t put it on the Internet as fact. You should write “I think” or “in my opinion” after something you write that is not verified.
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 DK says:
February 15, 2013 at 4:53 pm
Dave, you bring up some good points in your comment, but for someone who has such bad grammar, who are you to advise on this guy’s writing style? you make me laugh. you say that he was bias, however the points you make here are agreeing with what the writer just said. maybe ‘you should think before you write’? or maybe you’re just upset & had to pick on someone; i get it! stop hating & go hug someone.
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 Peter Kirkpatrick says:
February 15, 2013 at 10:07 am
As an officer, I can say this has nothing to do with drug use. That would be a ridiculous waste of money and time. We are there because of incidences such as drive by stabbings and other such crimes on the hills. It’s getting scarlet out there. Think twice before going to the Lake Louise ski resorts and others in the area. If you ever see us out. It is because there is serious crime an not something ridiculous as “Pot Smoking”
- I hang my head in shame at this article.
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 John says:
February 15, 2013 at 12:35 pm
There are RCMP quotes saying that the focus is substance abuse in the parent article on the CBC website, also the token exorbitantly vague claim that a marijuana seizure had occured. I hang my head in shame at THAT article.
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 aha says:
February 15, 2013 at 3:38 pm
So… you actually think that was a real cop? Drive by stabbings? This guy was trying to make a stir and shake up gullibility, damn some people are naive. I SHAKE my head at your comment.
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 Skeptic Onskiis says:
February 15, 2013 at 12:21 pm
Drive by stabbings on ski hills? Im sure this is a story that our beloved media would have ran with if it were a real problem. If it’s just at Lake Louise then why are there other hills featuring the same measures? I’ve heard of there being cops on the slopes at Whitewater in Nelson now. Really this is silly and will turn out to be another blemish in the RCMP’s already damaged reputation. Maybe the powers that be need to get out of their offices and take a look at the real world to gain some perspective on what should be a priority for our police forces and what is going to benefit society as a whole instead of continuing to bang an 80 year old drum (prohibition). Im hanging my head in shame at this whole notion.
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CharlieR says:
February 16, 2013 at 7:39 am
Never heard of a ‘drive by stabbing’. Heard of drive by shootings. How do you ‘drive by’ someone on a ski hill? I’m having trouble believing this one, sorry. The Ski hill said they did not require the services of the RCMP, that there was no justification for them. But when they come asking for free tickets, to police for free, surely the Hill wouldn’t refuse for fear the police would suspect them of having something to hide. It is called intimidation, plain and simple. Bored, and wanted to go skiing, since there are too many officers employed due to the Failed Drug War. They are doing what we call, “Make Work”.
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Jack says:
February 18, 2013 at 9:14 pm
The ski hills want them there and offer them the free lift tickets. It is very similar to the other volunteer ski patrollers on the hill. These ones just happen to be of the rcmp variety. The mountain is paying for the lift tickets, not tax payers and it’s volunteer work.
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David says:
February 15, 2013 at 1:27 pm
http://youtu.be/rjuRY4ftCoE
http://youtu.be/RaEU_A405zA
The second one is awesome. Lol
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 Mark says:
February 15, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Looks like they need to be out there policing the Dad’s with kids.
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 Mr.Young says:
February 19, 2013 at 9:08 pm
If you bothered to listen to what was said, and opened your eye’s. You would see that the dad pushed the boarder down, after he was cutting in and out of his kids. There are rules on a ski hill. The boarders were breaking them and the dad first asked nicely for them to stop doing it but a lippy comment got him pushed over. The you can see the attitude of the border when he strips down to be shirtless like looking at his naked upper body would scare him off. So pathetic.
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 Max Fernandez says:
February 15, 2013 at 2:08 pm
It’s clear that the people of Canada have become tired of the war against Cannabis (and some other drugs too). This policy of prohibition has clearly failed, and yet continues to drain taxpayer money. As a result, a whole new generation will be criminalised, and will have to suffer later in their lives.
By legalising Cannabis, it can be regulated and controlled in a similar manner to Alcohol and Tobacco, leading to massive savings throughout the police force. It’s time for the Canadian government to admit to this failure, and change its policy to better represent the wishes of its people.
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 Michael says:
February 15, 2013 at 4:20 pm
hear hear!
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Michael says:
February 15, 2013 at 4:14 pm
What a total joke and waste of money. Way to go office Sternface, you just busted a 16 yr old kid with a joint and a gram on him…this is why the majority of people dislike police officers.
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 ian says:
February 15, 2013 at 4:59 pm
As an RCMP officer who does ski patrol in BC, I am embarrassed at the slant in this article. Sherlock Holmes advises us not to bend the facts to fit the theory, but the theory to the facts.
1) The program exists because resort owners and shareholders benefit from having police presence on the mountain. If a private business owner is willing to exchange lift passes for police presence, then that has nothing to do with the public interest.
2) Ski patrol is volunteer (read: on your own time, on your own dime) which means it has nothing to do with police resources being wasted. Police resources get wasted far more with abandoned 911 calls and landlord/tenant disputes between people who don’t understand the difference between criminal and civil law. I don’t know where this business of auxiliaries comes in. Auxiliaries aren’t allowed to work without a regular member present.
3) Even though the officers on the mountain are volunteering, they’re still technically ‘on duty,’ which means responding to calls if the call comes in. Is the so called ‘war on cannabis’ redundant? Probably, but possession of cannabis isn’t really enforced with charges. Someone gets found with a bit of dope, they get it taken away and sent on their way. No ticket, no charges. Usually doesn’t take much more time then a traffic ticket. Fair, for something that is technically a criminal offence, no? Usually the worst thing that happens as a result of getting stoned is when people get behind the wheel of a vehicle and get an impaired by drug charge…which IS in the public interest.
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 Shane Abbot says:
February 15, 2013 at 7:06 pm
I’m a Ski instructor, and a member of the public who tends to appreciate the job’s police officers do, but this is just too far. I don’t smoke dope, nor do I care to much if it is legalized or not, however I don’t feel it is in the best interest of the RCMP who is continually in the news over the inability to keep appropriate tabs on it’s officers to patrol our hills. If you were there as a general ski patroller volunteering, then I would say okay, but the fact is your here on your days off to flash your badge and claim total authority over somewhere you really shouldn’t have any. I feel you are more likely to over punish someone needlessly ie: beat the crap out of and arrest someone who is on the hills enjoying a day of skiing and goof’s off a little to far, then a Ski Patroller would… especially when the appropriate thing to do would be remove pass holder privlages. I’m very happy that you have no authority over us on the hills while skiing at our insignificant ant hill resorts here in Ontario. you patrol our bars, roads, waterways, and everywhere else which is required, but this truly Isn’t. please leave the sanctity of our hills in tact if you are in uniform and respect the authority of our actual ski patrol. The facts are that they are better trained and equipped to deal with ski resort emergency situations then you guys are and we as instructors respect them and trust them more highly to effectively deal with on hill situations that occur then a couple of newbie Arrogant Power Hungry border cops!
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 Slater Jensen says:
February 16, 2013 at 5:03 pm
So the police get free passes? Do I get free passes as well? At the very least this is abusing a position of authority to get free stuff that the regular citizen does not. At worst this is just another encroachment into daily life in the name of the Stupidest War of All Time.
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Angela says:
February 18, 2013 at 9:20 pm
Regular citizens can ski for free to. All you need to do is sign up to be a volunteer patroller. I did it for two years at a hill in Ontario. It was great. Free pass and help an injured kid here and there.
The rcmp aren’t on the hill for a power trip. They are there if they happen to be needed and to enjoy a day on the slopes while they are not. They really don’t care if you’re smoking a little pot. They will only bother you if there is a more serious problem and if somebody does get injured they are there to help.
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 Dan says:
February 15, 2013 at 5:14 pm
So, the rest of the developed world is finally realizing that marijuana is a harmless and natural substance that belongs with humanity and are starting to completely legalize the stuff;
here we are in Canada, a country that “used” to have a reputation for good sense, honesty and an understanding of science, we are wasting our public resources chasing after people who are doing absolutely nothing wrong and certainly something MUCH less hazardous than swilling the over priced booze these places sell and then flying down the hill.
I would also like to know where they get off calling marijuana a narcotic drug, of which it is neither a “narcotic” which requires being an addictive opiate, or even a “drug” which is by definition, something that is whipped up in a lab.
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 John Swinderman says:
February 15, 2013 at 5:43 pm
HELLO….is this really what we want to use our policing resources for? This is just rediculous.
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Shane Abbot says:
February 15, 2013 at 7:56 pm
Ian I respect your position as a cop, but to reitterate on what I was saying before the biggest reason why I have a problem with The RCMP patrolling our ski resorts is simply because its an unnecessary amount of force required. The fact is because you are volunteering for RCMP hill patrol somebody effectively is getting the shaft on the other end by not getting hired on as a paid ski patrol member or able to get volunteer experience necessary for them to gain the qualification to get a paying position later on. You have day jobs, others don’t. If you want to volunteer, regain our respect on the hills instead of our displeasure do it in a non-dressed form and get involved in our volunteer ski clubs programs like: CADS (canadian association of disabled skiiers), Trac 3, Snowstars ski racing that need additional non paid members to volunteer to run our non for profit organizations. Every Year we have to turn numerous potential clients that are in need of our NFP organizations the ability to come and participate because a lack of volunteers.
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 Jamie says:
February 17, 2013 at 10:46 am
Here Here! Well put Shane.
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Angela says:
February 18, 2013 at 9:25 pm
Nobody is not getting to volunteer or work because of the rcmp ski patrol. Trust me, I signed up to volunteer ski patrol at a hill in BC that has rcmp patrolling. There was no interview. Anyone who signs up and does the training gets to volunteer as long as they can commit to a certain number of hours.
Also who is to say that the officers volunteering don’t also volunteer at other organizations where they don’t need to wear the uniform? Many officers give back to our communities through volunteer work. Nobody ever cares about that though because they would rather hate on the cops.
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 psydev says:
February 15, 2013 at 10:23 pm
Get a real job!
My tax dollars at work, sheesh…
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 k says:
February 15, 2013 at 11:33 pm
I don’t see much of a point to this. The article states it’s about the Weed. When will this Country, or should I say Authority’s figure it out??? Booze/smokes come in at 1&2 on the Killer list, never mind Health Care costs. Yet that stuff is available on every corner with a hefty chunk going to the Gov’t. Hypocritacle, and idiotic.
-smoke a joint and ponder it. dumbass fools is how this Country looks more and more everyday
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CharlieR says:
February 16, 2013 at 7:42 am
So, the RCMP managed to intimidate the Ski Hill into accepting their ‘free’ help when they don’t need it, and have no big drug problems. Maybe they are staking out someone for a bigger bust, and this is just a ruse. That, or they just had too much time on their hands, and wanted to “Make Work” while at the same time getting free passes to snow board. Either way, the Drug War has failed, it will never succeed, so it would save the taxpayers alot of money and make us safer taking it out of the hands of Organized Crime, and regulating it. Less wasted police, court and jail resources all across the board AND more police able to fight REAL VIOLENT CRIME.
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 Thomas says:
February 16, 2013 at 8:49 am
Cops ski for free in Whistler so they can harass pot smokers.
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 Raven P. says:
February 16, 2013 at 11:40 am
Canadian skiiers come visit Colorado resorts!!
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 Nicholas Prouten says:
February 16, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Even the RCMP are laughing. Most officers i’ve talked to have said that they don’t even really feel like pot is worth the resources they put in to fight it. Just another reminder why we need a better and different government in BC and across canada for that matter
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 Rabbit Fighter says:
February 16, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Do they really make a helmet with a flashing blue light?
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 Big Al says:
February 16, 2013 at 5:46 pm
All the attention should be on the resort owners. Did they get complaints that lead to this action? If so, the pot smokers need to find another place to ski.
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 Steve55 says:
February 16, 2013 at 11:50 pm
In my opinion I feel that there is no need for police presence on the hill. Its a place where you are in your own world at one with the hill and the elements. Its an escape from reality – enjoying life. I dont want to see guns present on the hills….periiod! Authority or not….there is no need to have that kind of presence in a place that s full of positive energy. Not one person is hating life and plotting to kill someone or major drug deals going on. Ya people might have their board stolen the odd time…thats the extent of the bad things that happen. I totally get having a road blocks at the bottom of the hill…you are making our roads safer. That should be the focus of the police. Our hills are safe and I honestly see this ruining ski resorts. Why would i want to go spend a day with my family and see someone carrying a gun…even if it is an officer. There is absolutely no need for that sort of presence.
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 Robin says:
February 17, 2013 at 9:51 am
Is it OK to drive drunk? Is it OK to drive stoned? The answer to both of these questions is NO because you’re endangering the safety of others on the roads. Why don’t the same rules apply to ski hills? Even when pot is legalized in this country, it will be illegal to use it in public places and drive while under the influence. Ski hills are owned by private corporations and they can make whatever rules they want for the people who use their equipment and space.
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Jamie says:
February 17, 2013 at 10:19 am
Way to waste more resources when the pool that we take them from is already dried up. I guess as a nation we must have solved domestic violence, violent crimes, Corporate, Government and Police corruption, the homeless problem, under fed kids, child poverty, and I could go on and on… Because if we haven’t, then a cop on a snowboard is disgusting and offensive. Kids getting ready to hit the half pipe after hitting a real pipe aren’t the problem, morons who think that putting RCMP on snowboards are. When ridiculous isn’t a strong enough word to describe a situation you know it’s messed up.
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 mikey123 says:
February 17, 2013 at 10:43 am
Marijuana greatly impairs peoples judgement. Im glad theres someone looking out for my safety with all the irresponsible reckless snowboarders. Why should people be allowed to be free to do what they want just because there on a mountain. I for one will congradulate the officer if I see him.
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 Portnax says:
February 21, 2013 at 1:45 am
Implying only snowboarders are smoking pot on the hill.
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Jamie says:
February 17, 2013 at 10:56 am
And before another member of the RCMP comes on here and starts going on about how it’s a volunteer thing and that no resources are being wasted… Sure you volunteer for the Free Ski Day, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen police officers volunteering to hand out sandwiches to homeless kids or women who work on the streets. I’ve done it, and I smoke (legally under the MMAR thank-you) cannabis, a lot of it, every single day. There’s no justifying this action (police on ski hills), so don’t be a jerk and try
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 Anarcho-PunkGuy says:
February 18, 2013 at 12:18 am
I agree. Police will sign up for free ski day, but when was the last time you saw a cop help a poor person? I honestly can’t say I’ve ever seen a cop help anyone. Besides I’m 100% against the war on drugs, waste of tax dollars, because if drugs were legal they’d be bringing in tax revenue instead of funding organized crime. I’d rather put revenue towards healthcare and education, rather than allowing organized crime benefit and profit from the fact it is illegal to sell in a regulated and taxed environment.
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Supporter says:
February 18, 2013 at 8:49 pm
RCMP do volunteer at other things. For instance they spend a day flipping burgers at Wendy’s to help raise money to make kids dreams come true http://www.sunshine.ca/events/wendys-dreamlift-day-2012 . Also, plenty of RCMP officers volunteer for other organizations. They just aren’t wearing their uniform when they do it.
The rcmp doing ski patrol is not about chasing pot smokers. It’s to have officers there in case they are needed. No resources are wasted. They volunteer their time on their days off and pay for their own transportation.
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Jamie says:
February 17, 2013 at 11:05 am
Last one, I promise. Because that last comment of mine made it sound like I’m anti police, which I am not. I have nothing but the utmost respect of anyone who would be willing to risk their life every day in order to keep the public safe. I have friends who have become police officers, and they are amazing people who only want to make the world a better place to live. My problem is with the people who think that things like patrolling ski hills are good ideas and then those who try to justify it. A stupid idea is still stupid no matter how you paint it.
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Supporter says:
February 18, 2013 at 8:56 pm
How is patrolling a ski hill a stupid idea? If a person gets injured, a kid gets lost, or a crazy person assaults somebody in the village then it is good to have people there that can do something about it. At some hills, the nearest police detachment is a far drive away so it is good to have officers in the area. Plus, it’s all volunteer.
You can volunteer ski patrol too if you want to ski for free. All you need to do is get trained in emergency first aid and apply
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 Chris F says:
February 18, 2013 at 8:55 am
I don’t know much about the other ski hills in the BC area ….. but here in the Sunny Okanagan I know for a fact that there are far bigger problems on the ski hills than pot.
I had a younger brother that used to live up at Big White in Kelowna, B.C. and the cocaine problem up there is staggering and a thousands times more urgent than any imagined “pot problem”
Kudos to the police officers who have voiced their disdain the practices outlined in this article. It’s people like you who restore my faith in the justice system. Cheers.
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 Katie says:
February 18, 2013 at 11:23 am
I understand the concept and it’s an inventive idea; however, it does look like your playing in uniform & instead of using your time to catch real criminals like rapist and crack & heroine dealers, your snowboarding after small time smokers & users. As a married mother of two, I don’t fear a small time user-I am concerned more with the people committing inditeable offenses. Simple possession is nothing more then a fine-does a fine justify officers snowboarding all day..Not so sure guys sorry 
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 poc_loc2013 says:
February 18, 2013 at 11:38 pm
I’ve smoked pot before skiiing and it was a drag.
My legs felt heavy and unresponsive.
I thought to myself, man I hope this stuff wears off soon so I can ski.
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 josh from america says:
February 19, 2013 at 4:29 am
What an oppressive troglodyte government, I was thinking of spending tourist dollars but not any longer.
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 Joose says:
February 19, 2013 at 8:18 am
So if I’m skiing and the police stop me on the hill, when I announce that they DO NOT have jurisdiction over me, (I DO NOT CONSENT) are they going to honor my statement or beat me up, arrest, taze, shoot me? Charge me with a corporate policy? Who is the injured party? Do you have a warrant? Is there a sworn affidavit, signed and subject to perjury? GOOD DAY!
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 Brian Marlatt says:
February 19, 2013 at 10:06 am
What would be effective would be the snowboarding cops handing out $500.00+ tickets for possession.
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 terry mckinney says:
February 20, 2013 at 9:39 am
It just keeps getting weirder and weirder.I guess they do this kind of thing because that’s where the money is.You can bet that Harper has his paws all over this policy shift.No one else seems to care much about cannabis anymore.It’s even legal below the border.I’ll bet that cut into the HA’s cash reserves?I thought the RCMP were against organised crime?All drug laws do is add to the depth of their coffers.Plus,they were supposed to be going after the big dealers and leaving users alone.How does that jibe with this stupidity?
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