A man who was apprehended by RCMP for possessing 1,100 grams of marijuana — despite possessing a Health Canada licence authorizing possession for personal medical purposes — is under investigation, a police spokesman said.
Sgt. Line Karpish also denied claims by suspect Thaddeus Conrad that he was physically manhandled without cause.
“He resisted arrest,” Karpish said, adding, “I’m not getting into details. We still have to mount a case.”
Karpish said Conrad, 32, was released with a promise to appear in St. Pierre-Jolys Provincial Court on Aug. 27th. Although no formal charges have been laid, the RCMP investigation continues.
“There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” Karpish said.
Conrad was pulled over by a roving Checkstop on Highway 52, west of Steinbach, around 7 p.m. on Saturday. Police say the Honda Odyssey the suspect was driving had a burned out headlight.
Officers noted the odour of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and that Conrad was “uncooperative with officers and resisted arrest.”
In an interview with the Free Press on Sunday, Conrad said he told the officers he had a Health Canada licence authorizing possession of up to 1,080 grams of marijuana for medical use. He notified officers of the licence at the scene. An RCMP press release on Monday confirmed that “Health Canada has confirmed that this individual is authorized — for personal use only — to possess and produce marijuana.”
– Read the entire article at Winnipeg Free Press.
