Decriminalization comes after a federal exemption from Canada’s drug laws to allow substance users to possess a total of 2.5 grams of opioids such as heroin and fentanyl, as well as crack and powder cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA.
B.C.’s drug decriminalization experiment, which starts this week, will require a “mind shift” by front-line officers, all of whom are required to take online training on the new rules, Victoria police Chief Del Manak told a news conference Monday.
“It was a tool in our toolbox that we used sparingly, but that was actually quite effective, so there are some concerns about losing that ability to get criminals before the courts, and not your average drug user,” the police chief said. B.C.’s Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside said the government has spent $11 million to hire “substance use navigators,” employed by health authorities to connect people who use drugs with addiction or harm-reduction services and other supports, from detox beds to counselling.
According to the B.C. Coroners Service, of the 1,827 illicit drug toxicity deaths in the first 10 months of 2022, 83 per cent occurred inside: 55 per cent in private residences and 28 per cent in social and supportive housing, single room occupancy buildings, shelters and hotels. Vancouver Police Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson, who is also the vice-president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, said she doesn’t expect to see any major changes on the ground since B.C. has already had de facto decriminalization for years. In August 2020, Canada’s public prosecution service directed federal lawyers not to seek charges relating to drug possession unless the circumstances are serious.
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