Based on coverage from Global News and CTV News.
Saskatchewan’s tougher new anti-drug law is now in force, and it tries something you do not usually see in drug enforcement: going after traffickers’ money through civil lawsuits, not just criminal charges.
The Response to the Illicit Drugs Act took effect Monday. The Saskatchewan government says it will let the province and people harmed by the illegal drug trade sue those involved in producing, trafficking, importing, or exporting certain drugs, with the goal of recovering costs tied to the damage done.
Saskatchewan Response to Illicit Drugs Act starts
The province is pitching the law as a way to make traffickers financially accountable and squeeze profit out of the drug trade. Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said in a government release that traffickers cause “real and lasting harm” across Saskatchewan, and the Act is meant to bring “meaningful consequences” for those who profit from deadly substances.
This move to hold traffickers accountable aligns with the province's broader strategy to combat drug-related issues, which also includes recent legislation aimed at facilitating involuntary treatment for individuals struggling with addiction, as detailed in our coverage of the Saskatchewan Government Passes Law for Involuntary Drug Treatment. The new law establishes a legal framework for individuals to seek damages from those whose actions have contributed to the ongoing public health crisis.
According to the legislation, it becomes a “tort” (a civil wrong) to commit an illicit drug-related wrong that results in an illicit drug-related disease, injury, or illness to an individual. If a court rules in favour of the plaintiff, it can award damages.
Who can sue and what damages cover
The Act allows the Saskatchewan government to sue, and it also allows individuals who were harmed to file civil claims.
The government says recoverable harms can include problematic substance use, addiction, general drug-related health decline, or death. If a lawsuit succeeds, plaintiffs can recover funds as payment for drug-related harms they endured, with the amount tied to the costs associated with the specific incident.
The Act also allows courts to award different categories of damages, including general, special, aggravated, and punitive damages, as long as they relate to the same incident as the lawsuit.
There is also a group approach built in: one payout can be collected if the government applies on behalf of a group of people harmed due to the drug trade.
Schedule I drugs targeted, not simple possession
The province says the legislation is aimed at people higher up the chain and does not apply to simple possession offences.
In government materials, the focus is on Schedule I drugs under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The release lists fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, morphine, codeine, and “other highly addictive drugs.”
That distinction matters in the broader debate about drug policy in Canada: Saskatchewan is signalling that its priority here is trafficking and production, while the law’s language is written to connect trafficking to measurable health and social harms that can be priced in court.
Contracts, grants, and appointments can be cancelled
Beyond lawsuits for damages, the Act gives the Saskatchewan government tools to unwind certain benefits if someone is convicted of specific Schedule I drug offences.
The province says it can apply to cancel and seek reimbursement for agreements, applications, or grants provided to traffickers who were acting illegally while those contracts were in effect. The law also allows the province to void certain grants, appointments, and agreements for people convicted of specific Schedule I offences.
The government also says it will have discretion to decide the appropriate response in each case, rather than treating every situation identically.
How courts may calculate payouts
If cases make it to court, the legislation sets out factors judges can weigh when determining outcomes and damages. Those include the toxicity of the drugs, how long they were sold, and how intricate the operation was.
That framework is meant to separate small-time activity from organized operations, at least in theory, and to connect the size of a financial penalty to the severity and scope of harm.
Saskatchewan policing investments tied to crackdown
The Act is rolling out alongside enforcement spending the province highlighted in the same stream of announcements.
For 2026-27, Saskatchewan plans to invest $22.7 million to support 160 municipal police positions in nine communities to expand enforcement capacity, plus $190,000 for small town and rural police services. The province also says it plans to add roughly 100 new frontline officers across Saskatchewan, and invested $6 million in 2025-26 as part of a multi-year plan.
The government is framing this as enforcement plus treatment, saying it is also expanding mental health and addictions treatment and recovery supports. The real test will be whether the new civil-law hammer actually gets used, and whether it can recover meaningful money from traffickers who often keep assets hidden or hard to trace.
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