Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/OTTAWA: Canada’s province of British Columbia has started a first-in-the-nation trial decriminalising small amounts of hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
According to the BBC, from Tuesday, adults can possess up to 2.5g of such drugs, as well as methamphetamine, fentanyl, and morphine.
Canada’s federal government granted the request by the west coast province to try out the three-year experiment.
It follows a similar policy in the nearby US state of Oregon, which decriminalised hard drugs in 2020.
Canadian stance on drugs
Ahead of the pilot’s launch, British Columbia and federal officials outlined the rules under the federally approved exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
While those substances will remain illegal, adults with a combined total of less than 2.5g of the drugs will not be arrested, charged, or have their substances seized. Instead, they will be offered information on available health and social services.
Federal minister of mental health Carolyn Bennett called the move “a monumental shift in drug policy that favours fostering trusting and supportive relationships in health and social services over further criminalization”.
Officials said that some 10,000 residents have died from drug overdoses since British Columbia declared drugs a public health emergency in 2016.
The British Columbia minister said, “Decriminalizing citizens use drugs breaks down the fear and shame associated with substance use and ensures they feel safer reaching out for life-saving supports”.
Thousands of police in the province have been offered training on the rule change, including those in Vancouver, the largest city in the province.
The program could run from 31 January 2023 until 31 January 2026 unless the government revokes it.
Few experts have questioned the 2.5g limit, saying it is not enough to account for the habits of several addicts.
