N.S. premier says fentanyl found in illegal cannabis, police say that’s false

The Nova Scotia RCMP and Halifax police both say no fentanyl has been found in illegal cannabis tested in the province, despite the premier’s claim to the contrary.

Premier Tim Houston said last week he had directed police to ramp up cannabis enforcement because of the public health risk, saying he was aware of unregulated cannabis “laced with traces of fentanyl.”

Houston said people in law enforcement had told him trace amounts of the opioid were found in cannabis that was tested from an illegal dispensary.

But the province’s two largest police agencies say they have no record of those alleged test results.

A Nova Scotia RCMP spokesperson said they rely on Health Canada to test seized cannabis, and they are not aware of any fentanyl having been detected in cannabis seized from illegal storefronts.

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The Halifax Regional Police also say no fentanyl has been found in the cannabis they have seized.

A spokesperson for Houston’s office said Thursday the premier was referring to “personal conversations” with a front-line police officer.

“Like we’ve said, this is an unregulated sector, so we don’t have data on many aspects at this time,” spokesperson Catherine Klimek said in an email.

Thomas Durfee, a Mi’kmaq cannabis activist, said Houston’s claim is irresponsible, dangerous and further villainizes First Nations members who run cannabis shops.

Durfee said he has a treaty right to sell cannabis at truckhouses — the term used for trading posts in treaties signed by the Mi’kmaq and British Crown in the 1700s.