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The federal minister says the new drug rules are a “start” and says they will be re-evaluated
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May 31, 2022 • 25 minutes ago • 4 minutes of reading • 34 comments The federal government will decriminalize possession of up to 2.5 grams of most illicit drugs, beginning January 1. Photo of DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Health Canada’s decision to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs in BC was hailed by some as an important step, but critics said the 2.5-gram limit is a “ridiculously low threshold” that it could make people buy more powerful drugs.
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BC will become the first jurisdiction in Canada where people aged 18 and over with a total of 2.5 grams or less of opioids, cocaine and amphetamines will not be subject to criminal charges or mandatory treatment, and their drugs will not be they will be confiscated.
However, police can file charges if there is evidence that the person with the drugs is trafficking them. The production, import or export of drugs in any quantity is still illegal. And the exemption does not cover psychedelic drugs.
The exemption does not apply to people who possess drugs in elementary schools, licensed daycares, airports, or Coast Guard boats and helicopters. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces remain subject to the Service Code of Discipline.
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The changes take effect on January 31, 2023 and last until January 31, 2026, at which time the province will have to reapply.
BC Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson said Tuesday that decriminalization will help reduce the stigma surrounding drug use that could prevent people from seeking harm reduction services. It is a recognition that substance use is a public health issue, not a criminal one, he said.
Sheila Malcolmson, BC’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, during an announcement of the decriminalization of a number of illicit drugs. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO / PNG
“Shame and fear prevent people from accessing the care they need, and fear of being criminalized has led many people to hide their addiction and use drugs alone,” Malcolmson told a news conference. federal counterpart Carolyn Bennett in Vancouver. “And using sun can mean dying alone.”
Bennett approved BC’s request, made in November, to exempt the province from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, that the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and BC Chief Forensic Officer Lisa Lapointe, have been searching for years.
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However, the 2.5-gram threshold set by Ottawa is well below the 4.5-gram threshold set by BC, which was based on comments from experts and drug users.
Leslie McBain, co-founder of the Moms Stop the Harm harm advocacy group, said the threshold is “ridiculously low” for people who depend on illicit substances included in the exemption.
It could have the unintended consequence, McBain said, of people buying illicit drugs several times a day, which increases their chances of encountering a bad batch.
BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau feared that low possession limits “could lead to greater potency of drugs, which can cause more harm and fear of seeking help.” He said decriminalization alone will not save lives and called on BC to expand access to regulated secure supply, especially in remote communities.
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A study by the BC Center on Substance Use found that people with more severe substance use disorders typically consume four grams of opioids, five grams of cocaine, 75 grams of crack cocaine, or six grams of amphetamines a day.
The author of the report, Kora DeBeck, the center’s research and public policy scientist, said she was disappointed that the federal government had taken such a cautious approach to decriminalization.
Bennett acknowledged that the possession threshold is lower than the defenders wanted, but said, “Let’s get started.” The government will study the threshold in real time, Bennett said.
Federal Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett told a news conference after British Columbia obtained an exemption to decriminalize possession of some illegal drugs for personal use. Photo of DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS
This makes advocates like McBain hopefully eventually increase.
Bennett said police across the country have reported to the government that 85% of non-drug-related drug seizures have been less than two grams.
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Vancouver City Council asked Ottawa separately to decriminalize small amounts of illicit drugs, asking people to possess two grams of opioids, three grams of cocaine, one gram of crack cocaine and 1.5 grams of cocaine. amphetamines.
BC exemption rules will also apply to the city.
“Decriminalizing simple drug possession is a bold and innovative first step in the fight to save lives,” Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart told a news conference Tuesday. “It marks a fundamental rethinking of drug policy that favors healthcare over handcuffs.”
Doug White, chairman of the BC First Nations Justice Council, said the council advocated the decriminalization of four grams of illicit drugs. White said the 2.5-gram threshold is unfair to people living in remote communities who often buy a supply of medication for several days and do not have the treatment and safe supply options found in urban centers. .
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White said the drug ban has disproportionately harmed Indigenous people who are overrepresented in the legal and prison system, so he also wants the pardons and criminal records of those previously charged with simple possession to be removed.
Assembling people with a criminal record for simple possession is “throwing an anchor at people asking for help instead of a lifebuoy,” he said.
Federal NDP damage reduction critic Gord Johns said the Liberal government should pursue a national decriminalization strategy rather than a fragmented nationwide approach.
Johns will present a private member bill on Wednesday that would create a national strategy to decriminalize simple possession and eliminate the criminal record for the crime. Bennett said Tuesday he will not support the bill.
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BC continues to have a record number of deaths from illicit drug toxicity. The overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency in BC in 2016 and the pandemic exacerbated the situation.
In 2021, 2,224 people died from illicit drug overdoses in BC, the highest number of deaths recorded in a calendar year.
More than 165 British Colombians died from an overdose of illicit drugs in March, which contributed to a record number of deaths during the first quarter of 2022.
kderosa@postmedia.com
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