Photo: The Canadian Press

Kelowna's top cop says police are as much in the dark as the public when it comes to rules around using cannabis and driving.

Supt. Brent Mundle admitted as much while responding to questions from Coun. Ryan Donn while presenting council with his quarterly policing report.

Donn said people are aware of the alcohol content of a beer, and many know how many they can have to stay under the legal limit.

"When it comes to cannabis, I really, truly have no idea what the limits are to stay within," said Donn.

He asked where police are in the process, and wondered if we are behind.

Mundle agreed the RCMP is behind when it comes to public education, especially when it comes to operating a motor vehicle.

While there is a legal impaired limit of .08 when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol, Mundle says a measurement for cannabis has not been determined.

"I think there will be a significant learning process for everyone, especially those people who are using cannabis and operating a motor vehicle, as to what is a safe limit, and should they be operating a vehicle after smoking one marijuana cigarette," said Mundle.

"The federal government is still working towards identifying a suitable and approved instrument under the Criminal Code that can be used for detecting cannabis. Obviously it will be an oral method similar to the roadside devices our officers use to detect alcohol."

Mundle says the feds are providing a significant amount of money for the training of frontline officers, and expects that money to begin filtering down to local detachments over the next few months.

It appears police and legislators will have some extra time to put the rules in place.

The expected July 1 date for the legalization of recreational marijuana has been pushed back to August at the earliest.