British Columbia Will be The First Province in Canada to Decriminalize Possession of Small Amounts of Illicit Drugs
- 2 years ago
British Columbia has been granted an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As of January 2023, the federal exemption will remove criminal penalties for people in possession of certain illicit substances provincewide. People over 18 in B.C. will be able to carry up to 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, or MDMA for personal use without risking arrest, charges, or drug seizure. This is a lower threshold than the 4.5 grams that the province had proposed when it applied for a Section 56 exemption to the CDSA last November, brought down by Health Canada. The exemption will not apply on school grounds, at childcare facilities, in airports, or to members of the military.
As it considered the province’s application, the federal government paid special attention to what law enforcement had to say, reducing the possession threshold by two grams based on feedback from police. But advocates say that the voices of drug users should carry more weight than the police. “Drug users are the folks that we need to listen to, and they’re the most knowledgeable about what they need and about what might make some changes in the crisis for them,” Sarah Blythe, executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society.
As it considered the province’s application, the federal government paid special attention to what law enforcement had to say, reducing the possession threshold by two grams based on feedback from police. But advocates say that the voices of drug users should carry more weight than the police. “Drug users are the folks that we need to listen to, and they’re the most knowledgeable about what they need and about what might make some changes in the crisis for them,” Sarah Blythe, executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society.