School boards ban e-cigarettes after police find drug use, Police

Edmonton police and school resource officers are reporting an increase in the use of marijuana oil through e-cigarettes.

Both Edmonton school divisions just this week took notice of the warnings and have banned e-cigarettes on school property.

Police report they’ve had five drug arrests in the past two weeks.

“Our eyes are open, we are more aware of (this issue),” Rosnau said Thursday. “It’s prevalent, it’s everywhere. Kids are jumping on this very quickly.”

By using e-cigarettes to smoke marijuana oil, users are able to mask the smell and odour of the drug.

Rosnau said one of the top concerns for the use of marijuana oil is its high THC potency – as 90 per cent – compared to a regular marijuana cigarette, which is around 10 to 20 percent THC levels.

With little odour, marijuana oil can be masked with different flavours by using an e-cigarette, adding to the appeal for youth, said ALERT officer Pierre Blais.

“A target group for this type of drug use is the youth,” said Blais. “It’s very appealing to youth. It’s cool, it masks the smell with cherry, bubblegum.”

Both school boards have prohibited e-cigs on school grounds in order to help curb the use of marijuana.

“We need to support our police partners in this activity,” said Carol Symons, spokesperson from the Edmonton Public School Board. “We’re aware of the presence of e-cigarettes. We’re trying to move swiftly and make a good example for our community.”

Another concern with marijuana oil is the way it’s produced, which requires large amounts of butane and can cause explosions.

Agencies/Canadajournal