Line 1 on your paper · the charge
Your paper says 320.14(1)(c).
That's the blood drug concentration charge: built on the drug level in your blood, including the THC limit for cannabis, not on how you seemed. If your paper says 320.14(4), that's the lower THC offence. Know the limits in plain words and what to do before your first court date.
The line, word by word
Three lines, one drug question.
The result usually isn't on the release paper. It's in the disclosure, the Crown's evidence.
A drug level at or over the limit.
Within two hours after driving, a blood drug concentration at or over the limit the regulations set for that drug. The two hours are explained on the over 80 page.
The lower cannabis line.
THC of 2 ng or more but under 5 ng per mL of blood, within two hours of driving. A separate, lesser offence.
About how you drove.
If the paper says (a), the charge is impairment, not a number: 320.14(1)(a), operation while impaired.
Lines 5 and 6, and line 2
Three clocks, and only one is the court.
If your pile also has a suspension notice and an impound slip, two of these started at the roadside and run on their own, whatever the court decides.
Count your days- 7 days · the car: If the car was impounded, the owner collects it after day 7 and pays the tow and storage.
- 90 days · the licence: In Ontario, a poor performance on the police "Drug Recognition Expert" evaluation means a 90-day roadside suspension (ontario.ca).
- The day on the paper · the court date: The criminal case for 320.14(1)(c) starts here, at the courthouse on line 3.
Many people read this line for the first time at the kitchen table, the morning after.
Line 2 · the first appearance
What the first morning in court looks like.
At a GTA courthouse, for a drug charge. If you don't have a lawyer yet, go yourself. A missed court date can lead to a warrant.
Your courthouse: Toronto, 10 Armoury · Brampton · Newmarket · Oshawa · Milton
- Arrive early with the paper.Security screening at the door. Bring ID and every paper you were given.
- Find your courtroom.Lists posted inside show your name and room. Line 3 tells you the building.
- Your name is called.Usually the Crown's evidence, called disclosure, is handed over or asked for.
- You leave with a next date.Usually nothing is decided about guilt at a first appearance.
Often on the same paper
Lines that sit next to this one.
All your papers: Charged with impaired driving? Start with your papers
About this line
Asked about 320.14(1)(c).
What is the THC limit for driving in Canada?
The Blood Drug Concentration Regulations set 5 ng of THC per mL of blood for 320.14(1)(c), and 2 ng for the lower offence, 320.14(4), both within two hours of driving.
I felt fine. Can it still be 320.14(1)(c)?
Yes. Like over 80, this line is about the concentration in your blood, not about how you felt or drove. Driving while impaired by a drug is a different line, 320.14(1)(a).
Why was my licence suspended for 90 days?
Ontario suspends a licence for 90 days at the roadside after a poor performance on the police "Drug Recognition Expert" evaluation, among other reasons. It runs on its own, whatever the court decides.
Is a drug driving charge a criminal record?
A conviction under 320.14(1)(c) is a criminal record. A charge is not a conviction.
Talk it through
Talk through 320.14(1)(c).
Say it's a drug charge, which section is on the paper and which courthouse. No need to explain what happened.