With July 1 approaching, legislation was introduced by the Saskatchewan government for dealing with the driving side of things once marijuana is legalized.

“It’s important for people to remember that in Saskatchewan it is currently and will continue to be illegal to drive while impaired – whether by drugs or alcohol,” Minister Responsible for SGI Joe Hargrave said in a release.  “That is not changing, even when personal cannabis use becomes legal in July.  New federal legislation gives police new tools to detect drug-impaired drivers.  Anyone caught will face the same tough consequences as drivers impaired by alcohol.”

Police will have equipment to detect marijuana in someone's system by processing a saliva sample.

But a positive sample isn't needed for a driver to be penalized.

This is a visual included in a release by the provincial government yesterday:

It was specified that it was a simplified graphic not meant to represent all the legal and technical procedures.

But it illustrates if someone is pulled over, and then the officer finds the driver doesn't meet expectations for a one-leg stand, eye exams, or divided-attention test, and there is not a drug-screening test for a saliva sample available, the driver automatically receives a three-day license suspension, three-day vehicle seizure, have to go to a driving-without-impairment course, and get demerit points.

Recent results to an online survey showed the majority of respondents are in favour of drug-impaired driving being treated like drunk driving. Respondents also voted in favour of a zero-tolerance approach to drug-impaired driving.