The Government of Saskatchewan has announced more measures to remove fentanyl and meth from the streets, therefore protecting communities. Included in the list are creating provincial penalties, including fines up to $1 million in some cases, to stop the illegal, non-medical production, transportation, distribution and use of these drugs, prioritizing drug-related offenders by ensuring they are apprehended through the Warrant Intelligence Team’s efforts, and including dangerous, drug-related items as street weapons in The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act.

Justice Minister Tim McLeod says, “These drugs have caused immense harm in our communities, leading to addiction, crime and loss of life. We are taking a firm stance to disrupt the flow of fentanyl and methamphetamine while also providing options for offenders to access the resources necessary for recovery.” Another of the measures is examining updates to the Fine Option program to allow offenders to receive credit against court-imposed fines if the offender attends eligible addictions programming.

The complete list of measures:
– Creating provincial penalties, including fines up to $1 million in some cases, to stop the unauthorized, non-medical production, transportation, distribution and use of these substances outside approved medical use.
-Examining updates to the Fine Option program that will allow offenders to receive credit against court-imposed fines if the offender attends eligible addictions programming.
– Focusing efforts under The Seizure of Criminal Property Act, 2009 that allow the government to seize property that was either gained through illegal activities or used to commit crimes.
-Prioritizing drug-related offenders, ensuring they are appropriately apprehended and held accountable, as part of the Warrant Intelligence Team’s efforts to enhance public safety and disrupt illegal drug activity. The Warrant Intelligence Team will also work with government ministries to suspend government benefits to these offenders.
-Updating the Trespass to Property Regulations to classify drug use and other disruptive activities as trespassing, to defend against these activities in semi-public spaces.
-Including dangerous, drug-related items as street weapons in The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act, allowing police to seize these items and in some cases lay charges under the Act.
-Implementing policies to cancel provincial licenses for people convicted of drug-related crimes including driver’s licences, provincial firearms licences, hunting and fishing licences, and in some cases business and other municipal licenses and provincial benefits.