19. Regina v. X.X.X. [Provincial Court of Alberta, Okotoks – August 2012]

Regina v. X.X.X. [Provincial Court of Alberta, Okotoks – August 2012] Our client was heading back to Calgary after a fun filled ski weekend in British Columbia when his vehicle was stopped by the police. According to the police they immediately detected the overwhelming scent of cannabis marijuana and proceeded to search the vehicle. From a backpack located in the back seat the police seized a quantity of cannabis marijuana and related paraphernalia. When the police asked our client who owned the backpack he readily (and very unwisely) claimed ownership. As a reward for his cooperation with the police our client was promptly arrested and charged with a drug offence – possession of cannabis marijuana. This case was somewhat exacerbated by the fact that our client is a member of a national sports team and a drug conviction would terminate any future in this particular field of endeavor. Bottom line: we were able to resolve this prosecution in its entirety by way of a complete withdrawal of the drug charge.