More cannabis-related funding is rolling in from the Ontario government.

Barrie council found a way to split nearly $237,240 in final instalment payments from the province –– which are aimed at helping municipalities adapt to federal cannabis legalization –– during a meeting Dec. 16.

About $166,764 will be given to Barrie police to address costs related to increased enforcement in 2018 and 2019. Another $45,000 will go toward new signage associated with the city’s smoking and vaping regulations. Meanwhile, roughly $25,474 will help cover enforcement, public inquiry response and policy development costs incurred by the city’s planning, building, legislative and court services departments.

“Provincial funding must be used for costs directly related to the legalization of recreational cannabis,” community and corporate services general manager Dawn McAlpine said. “Municipalities will be required to provide information regarding the use of the money and the impact of the funding.”

This money stems from a two-year, $40-million commitment made by the province. The first round of funding was issued in January; Barrie received about $136,870 at that time.

But the province has only covered about 66.5 per cent of the true local expense of adapting to legalization, McAlpine said.

Over the last two years, city police spent $396,840 on cannabis-related initiatives such as training, illegal dispensary investigations and added RIDE lanes.

In addition, the municipality has incurred about $165,710 in costs for updates to its public smoking and business licensing bylaws and related signage installation. This amount also includes $45,000 granted to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit for educational campaigns and enforcement.

Police are also catching more drivers impaired by drugs. In 2018, officers launched 203 investigations for impaired operation of a motor vehicle; 162 were for alcohol and 41 for drugs. During the first six months of 2019, 201 investigations were launched; 110 related to alcohol consumption and 91 for drugs.

“Processing of individuals suspected of being impaired by drugs requires (about) four times the amount of staff resources, given the difference in testing and evaluation,” McAlpine said. “There has been a significant increase in the number of individuals discovered impaired while (driving) since legalization. There is a significant shift, and resulting dramatic increase, in impaired operation of motor vehicles.”