The federal government framed its announcement that possession of small amounts of drugs will be decriminalized in BC as a major political breakthrough, but for those close to the deadly drug crisis, the news has been received with skepticism.
On Tuesday morning, British Colombians learned that Canadians aged 18 and over could have up to 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA in the province as of January 31 next year.
While many people on the ground in BC say it’s a step in the right direction, they also criticized the low threshold for the amount of drugs, the long delay before implementation, and the potential for continued racial discrimination.
Skeptics include Lisa Lapointe, chief BC forensic scientist and vocal critic of the crisis response from all levels of government.
“It has been described as decriminalizing. I’m not sure it is,” Lapointe told The Current host Matt Galloway.
The exemption from federal drug laws comes as a result of a request from the BC government, which suggested a threshold of up to 4.5 grams of illicit drugs, an amount that many critics already believed which was too low. The federal government’s threshold almost halves that recommendation.
“I should honestly say that this guideline for not applying small amounts of substances will not make a significant difference in the short term,” Lapointe said.
He said the threshold is too low to help most drug users or to prevent many deaths caused by BC’s contaminated illicit drug supply, which has already killed more than 9,400 people since 2016.
“Decriminalization, in my opinion, would be if you have a substance for personal use, then it is for personal use, and the police should have no role to play in this … What you decide to use for your needs personal is your choice. “Lapointe said.
“Bias can be dragged”
She is also concerned about racial prejudice and other prejudices that influence the way police officers interpret the new guidelines, especially when it comes to who is stopped to see if their drugs exceed the threshold.
“When a police officer has so much discretion, bias can happen, either consciously or unconsciously,” he said.
Lapointe said he will observe how the province develops training and guidelines for police officers, as well as how Crown prosecutors apply the new rules in their role of approving charges.
Garth Mullins, a member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), which was among the organizations consulted by the BC government when requesting the decriminalization, said the proposed 4.5-gram threshold is he considered an acceptable supply for three days. based on extensive research the group had done.
But entrenched drug users often have multiple drugs and could consume 2.5 grams “for breakfast,” so the exemption may not help them much, Mullins said.
Consideration for rural drug users
While the BC First Nations Justice Council largely applauded the move, President Doug White expressed concern that the lower threshold appears to have been decided without regard to drug users in the areas. more remote, where it is more difficult to replenish supplies on a regular basis.
“Addiction has no geographical boundaries. If we are working to reduce harm through decriminalization to reduce fear and isolation of users, the needs of those living in remote communities must also be taken into account,” he said. White in a written statement.
“We look forward to seeing the threshold raised to four grams for personal use as soon as possible.”
He also argued that people with a criminal record for drug possession should be pardoned and removed.
Dean Wilson, former president of the Vancouver Drug Consumer Area Network, pictured here in Vancouver on May 31, 2022, said five or six people die every day as a result of BC’s contaminated drug supply , more than a thousand more could die. by the time the new structure is in place. (Georgie Smyth / CBC)
For former VANDU President Dean Wilson, the lower threshold is much less important than the time period.
“They say this is very urgent, but we won’t do it for seven months. How, are you kidding? What does ‘urgent’ mean?” He said.
He noted that with five or six people dying every day as a result of BC’s contaminated drug supply, another 1,200 or more people could die when the new structure is up and running next year.
Lapointe shared these concerns and said he also acknowledged that for many people any move towards decriminalization may seem daunting.
“For decades, we’ve been told drugs are bad,” he said.
This could explain why the plan has been developed in this way, Lapointe speculated.
“I think the federal government is probably being very careful that there is probably a little bit of political football,” he said.
But he argued that the only way to deal with the immediate problem of people dying from a contaminated supply of drugs is to provide a safe, regulated supply of medicines that are readily available to anyone in need.