Saskatchewan has received nearly $100-million in tax revenues from cannabis since legalization in 2018. (Photo credit: Canadian Press)

By CKOM News

CANNABIS

By the numbers: Five years of legal pot in Sask.

Oct 17, 2023 | 1:05 PM

Five years ago, acquiring cannabis anywhere in Canada required either a prescription or a back-alley transaction.

But today, stopping by a local pot shop to peruse pre-rolled joints or THC edibles is nearly as ordinary as picking up a bottle of wine.

As we review the impact of marijuana legalization in this province, we see a changing landscape that includes growing businesses, higher tax revenues and vigilant monitoring for impaired driving.

How many licensed cannabis retailers are in Saskatchewan?

According to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, the province has 176 licensed shops in 75 communities as of this month.

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Saskatoon holds the distinction of most store locations with 37. Regina follows closely with 32 cannabis shops, while Yorkton, Moose Jaw and Estevan have four shops each.

Weyburn, Swift Current, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Meadow Lake and Humboldt have three shops each.

Indian Head, La Ronge, Lloydminster, Martensville, Melfort, Nipawin, Rosthern, Shaunavon, Warman, Watrous and Wynyard have two shops each.

The remaining 55 stores are dispersed among smaller communities.

How much tax revenue has the province earned?

Saskatchewan has received nearly $100 million in total tax revenues from cannabis since legalization.

All products sold here must have a Saskatchewan excise stamp, which indicates that the product was intended for this market and that the excise duty has been paid. This tax resulted in $68 million to the province since October 2018.

The remaining $31.7 million in tax revenue comes from the provincial sales tax.

How many cannabis-impaired driving charges since 2018?

While the Ministry of Justice does not distinguish cannabis from alcohol-impaired driving charges in its records, officers say they see cannabis impairment surpassing alcohol impairment at roadside checkstops.

An RCMP release earlier this month reported 14 cannabis-impaired drivers during a four-hour stretch at a checkstop in Chamberlain on Highway 11.

There is one case before the courts in Saskatoon of cannabis-impaired driving causing death after nine-year-old Baeleigh Maurice was killed by an impaired driver at a crosswalk in 2021.