The province of Saskatchewan is introducing a number of new measures to target fentanyl and methamphetamine production, transportation, trafficking, and street use.
Some of the province's goals with the measures includes removing fentanyl and methamphetamine from communities, significantly deterring anyone from trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, and preventing street-level use to protect health and safety and preventing the medical system from being undermined.
"These drugs have caused immense harm in our communities, leading to addiction, crime and loss of life," Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said. "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."
The measures will include the following:
- Creating provincial penalties of fines up to $1 million to stop the unauthorized production, transportation, distribution, and use of these substances outside approved medical use.
- Looking at 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 to allow the government to seize property that was either gained through illegal activities or used to commit crimes.
- Prioritizing drug-related offenders' apprehension 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.
- 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.