Last year, 57 people were killed as a factor of drunk driving in the province, and nearly half of all traffic accidents that occured in Saskatchewan involved alcohol.

How much is that number going to change with the legalization of marijuana around the corner?

Moose Jaw Chief of Police Rick Bourassa says the cities police force has been preparing for the decrimilization of cannabis, and although drug impaired driving has always been illegal, there will be some changes coming;

"Drug impaired driving has been against the law for years, but now with the legalization of cannabis there will be some new additions to that law in terms to the amount of drug that is in the blood and there are going to be testing procedures that are put into place that we will be implimenting, and we anticipate July 1st those will begin".


The Moose Jaw Police are also going to be covering a little more ground than usual in 2018.

The province has announced the municipal police department will now chip in and help cover rural areas around the city.

Bourassa says the city force is ready for the challenge;

"We will have 4 Moose Jaw Police Service members that will in 2018 be engaged with policing on the highways outside the city. Not sure entirely how large the area will be, but dont be surprised to see Moose Jaw Police Service vehicles doing traffic safety work on the Trans-Canada and other highways around the city".

The Saskatoon Police, and some other departments in the south east of the province started watching over rural areas earlier this year.