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Police see low numbers of cannabis-related offences in the first year of legalization

According to the report, investigations under the federal Cannabis Act have "not had a significant impact on the SPS."

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Saskatoon police recorded a low number of both federal and provincial cannabis-related offences during the first year of legalization, according to a new report.

The numbers were released in a report — called the “Impact of Legalization of Cannabis After One Year” — for the board of police commissioners and was signed off on by Saskatoon police Chief Troy Cooper.

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According to the report, investigations under the federal Cannabis Act have “not had a significant impact on the SPS.”

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With the tally starting after the legalization date of Oct. 17, 2018, SPS only saw 11 charges under the Cannabis Act. Possession of cannabis for the purpose of sale saw four charges laid — the most of any offence under the act — followed by two charges each for possession for distribution and possession of over 30 grams by an adult.

SPS only saw one charge each of possession by an organization, distribution to a youth by an adult and the unauthorized sale to an adult.

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Only eight of 41 impaired driving charges laid in Saskatoon where drugs were listed as the intoxicant were deemed to be cannabis-related. The remaining 251 impaired driving offences were alcohol-related.

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In January, police introduced the Draeger 5000, which was provided at no cost to the SPS by SGI. It is a saliva test that can detect cannabis and cocaine during roadside stops, though the device wasn’t utilized until July due to a lack of officers trained to use it.

More charges were laid under Saskatchewan’s Cannabis Control Act, with a total of 187 offences through the first year of legalization. The possession, consumption and/or distribution of cannabis in a vehicle saw the most offences through the year totalling 55, followed closely by 50 instances of a minor possessing cannabis, and consuming cannabis in a public place taking the third spot with 31 offences.

The report also noted 16 offences of a person possessing more than 30 grams of cannabis in public, 18 offences of possessing cannabis known to be illegal and eight offences in which a person attempted to distribute more than 30 grams of cannabis to the public. Four of the remaining five offences under the provincial Cannabis Control Act — a minor purchasing cannabis directly or indirectly, a minor consuming cannabis, the sale or distribution of cannabis to a minor and directly or indirectly selling or offering cannabis — saw fewer than five offences each.

There were no offences of consuming cannabis at a school recorded this year.

The first investigation of its kind, and what the report describes as the “most significant” under the provincial Cannabis Control Act, occurred in January and February when officers shut down an unlicensed cannabis retailer in downtown Saskatoon. More than 300 hours went into the investigation, which cost nearly $17,500 in wages.

The police board estimates that training officers during the first year of legalization cost $138,849.51, with an additional $115,291.29 spent on training the year before.

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