Canada’s British Columbia decriminalizes hard drugs

People in Canada’s British Columbia province who possess up to 2.5 grams of drugs—like cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, heroin, morphine and fentanyl—will not be arrested nor have their drugs confiscated.

Selling or trafficking these drugs is still illegal, but personal use is not—at least for the next three years.

Opioids befriend hard drugs
Legally prescribed opioids are addictive, and most people using them transition to illegal opioids like heroin and fentanyl.

The government’s three-year trial run, which started last week, is to see if such decriminalization acts will help reduce its opioid epidemic affecting around five million people.

Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions feels, “Eliminating criminal penalties for those carrying small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use will reduce stigma and harm.”

Has this worked before?
Portugal is seen as the benchmark for drug decriminalization results. The country tried out similar rules in 2001 to curb its heroin crisis and was successful in reducing drug death rates.

The Netherlands, Czech Republic and even the US have tried decriminalization as well. Oregon became the first US state to do so in 2021.

But
Experts say decriminalization doesn’t work in a vacuum. Comprehensive public health approaches, like access to drug tests, rehab, and more, are required for it to work out.

As of now, police officers in British Columbia will slap “health service referral cards” in the hands of drug users rather than handcuffs until 2026.