For the first time, more people were charged with trafficking crystal meth in Saskatoon last year than any other drug.

There were 58 charges for selling meth in 2016 — compared with 48 charges for trafficking cocaine.

Robin Wintermute is a detective sergeant with the Saskatoon Police and has seen the rise of the deadly amphetamine.

"It's both alarming and problematic," he said. "Not only in Saskatoon but in the province of Saskatchewan, to an epidemic proportion."

"Crystal methamphetamine has become the drug of choice. It's cheap, it's readily available, it's easily produced. You can go online and Google up 100 recipes."

Police statistics between 2008 and 2016 show the rise of methamphetamine, both for trafficking and possession. On the trafficking side, typically cocaine and marijuana led the way for charges.

Wintermute says drugs "are strictly a money-based enterprise" and that the price of meth is a big incentive for users and dealers.

Its primary competition as a stimulant is cocaine.

"In comparison to cocaine, a kilogram of cocaine is running around $55,000 to $73,000, where you can get a kilo of meth for $20,000," he said.

"The high is immediate. It can last up to 12 hours, it's a binge drug. It's the drug of choice. People can't afford cocaine, you're going to get the same high, or similar high, using crystal meth, and that's what they've gone to.
A point of crystal meth going from $5 to $10, where a gram of cocaine is that $80 to $100 mark."

Wintermute said that most of the meth comes from British Columbia.