The federal Conservatives are promising to crack down on "fentanyl kingpins" by bringing in mandatory life sentences for those convicted of trafficking, producing or exporting more than 40 mg of the drug.

Pierre Poilievre is scheduled to hold a news conference in Vancouver later Wednesday, following an announcement that a Conservative government would bring in mandatory life sentences for those convict

Fentanyl trafficking, under existing law, can already be punished with life in prison, and sentences are often more than 10 years

Pierre Poilievre says a Conservative government would bring in mandatory life sentences for those convicted of trafficking, production and distribution of over 40 mg of fentanyl.

Poilievre is scheduled to hold a news conference in Vancouver later Wednesday. The Conservatives also want traffickers caught with between 20 mg and 40 mg of the drug to be sentenced to 15 years in prison. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, two milligrams can kill a person. Health Canada says “a few grains” can be deadly.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on Wednesday that he will change the Criminal Code if he's elected so that all drug 'kingpins' convicted of trafficking major quantities of fentanyl are hit with a mandatory life sentence in prison.