Charges laid for drug possession in Saskatoon have dropped significantly in recent years, but not for the reasons you may think.

In 2022, amendments to the Canadian Drug and Substances Act came into effect, which requested officers look at substance abuse as a health or social issue instead of a criminal offence.

Instead of pressing charges, officers were told to either take no action, warn the individual, or refer them to a program or agency. Superintendent of Saskatoon’s Criminal Investigation Bureau Blair Pellerin says in 2024 there were about 350 charges laid compared to 700 in 2021.

“Our members, and our service as a whole, have embraced the shift in mindset of illicit drug possession, from using punitive measures, to recognizing that drug use is a public health concern.”

However, officers can still press charges if the drug possession comes alongside a violent offence, drug trafficking, outstanding warrants, or weapons offences. In the last five years, these types of charges were laid in 58 per cent of drug possession incidents.

“There were 3182 incidents involving (drug possession) charges. Seven-hundred-and-fifty, or 24 per cent, were in combination with weapon incidents. An additional 14 per cent were in conjunction with drug trafficking incidents, and an additional almost eight per cent were accompanied by some time of violent crime.”