Saskatchewan not planning to decriminalize drug possession
Saskatchewan won't be following British Columbia's lead when it comes to decriminalizing drug possession.
At a funding announcement on Tuesday Saskatchewan`s Mental Health and Addictions Minister Everetty Hindley said decriminalization is "not on our radar." It was just hours after B.C. became the first province in Canada to allow people over 18 years old to carry up to 2.5 grams of certain drugs.
"We're focused as a government here on treatment and recovery," Hindley said. "Ultimately, we want to make sure that we are providing people with access and avenues to long-term treatment recovery."
As part of a first-in-Canada pilot project, people aged 18 and older in B.C. can legally possess a combined 2.5 grams of illegal drugs, including opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA. The pilot project will last for three years.
Last May, the federal government granted B.C. an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Under it, adults will no longer be arrested, criminally charged or have their drugs seized if they’re found carrying a small amount for personal use.
B.C. had originally requested a threshold of 4.5 grams, but Ottawa said it decided on a lower amount after speaking with law enforcement agencies.
Rather than arresting people, cards connecting people to social services and addiction support will be handed out.
In the 2022 budget announced last spring, the Saskatchewan government committed to adding 150 to 200 addiction treatment spaces throughout the province over the next three years. Hindley said the province will have more details on those plans "in the very near future."
"That's what we're focused on at this point and time," Hindley said.
In 2022, a record 421 people in Saskatchewan died due to drug overdose, according to a Drug Toxicity Report released last month. That number has seen an increase over the past nine years.
In 2021, 410 people died from overdoses, up from 325 in 2020. Two years prior, 172 overdose deaths were recorded in 2018.
According to statistics provided by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, 2014 was the last year the overdose crisis didn’t worsen, going from 88 in 2013 to 85 the year following.
--With files from CTV News Vancouver and CTV News Yorkton's Brady Lang
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.