The police wanted a lower limit
The Canadian Press – June 2, 2022 / 13:36 | History: 370761
Photo: The Canadian Press
Carolyn Bennett speaks at a press conference in Vancouver on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. The Minister of Mental Health and Addictions says the federal government’s decision on the drug decriminalization threshold in British Columbia was based on the contribution of the police. THE CANADIAN PRESS / Darryl Dyck
Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, says the federal government’s decision on the British Columbia drug decriminalization threshold was based on police input.
Drug users in BC who own up to 2.5 grams accumulated illicit drugs for personal use will not be arrested or charged starting next year.
The threshold is below the 4.5 grams requested by the province and some advocates have criticized it as too low to say that rooted drug users tend to carry more.
Bennett says in an interview that the government received input from law enforcement across the country, including BC and RCMP police agencies.
He says law enforcement showed that about 85 percent of drug seizures are less than two grams.
The minister says the government will monitor closely whether people will continue to be charged or the drug will be confiscated if they carry more than 2.5 grams.
The British Columbia Police Chiefs Association was not immediately available for comment.