Last year, more than 2,700 people died of drug overdoses in British Columbia. The man who opened the drug store said that he wanted to make pure drugs available to users.
On Thursday, the Canadian police arrested a man who had opened an illegal shop selling hard drugs in Vancouver, several media reports.
The store’s founder had turned the trailer into a store, where he sold small amounts of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine.
The drug store opened its doors on Wednesday in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighborhood. Dozens of customers queued in front of the store on Wednesday, he says Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC (switch to another service).
The Downtown Eastside is known for its bad drug problem. The first drug use room in North America was once opened in this part of the city.
Overdoses are a serious problem
Earlier this year, the province of British Columbia began a three-year pilot project to decriminalize drug use and possession.
During the trial, those over 18 are allowed to possess a maximum of 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA.
Drug decriminalization project launched as fentanyl-laced drug-related deaths rise in western Canada, says The British Broadcasting Company BBC (you will switch to another service). Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that easily causes a life-threatening overdose.
According to the BBC, at least 2,720 people will die of overdose in British Columbia in 2022. The province has about five million inhabitants.
The police do not allow drug dealing
The founder of the drug store said For Vice News (you will switch to another service), that he decided to open the store after his half-brother died of an overdose last year. He said he wanted to make available to users tested drugs that do not contain fentanyl and other impurities.
Before starting the sale, the founder told CBC he was prepared for an arrest. The man said that in that case he plans to start a legal battle aimed at enabling a “legal way to distribute safe drugs”.
Vancouver police spokesperson Tania Visint said in a release that the police support drug harm reduction services and decriminalization, but will continue to prevent drug trafficking.
Police say the suspect has been released pending a court hearing on the condition that he stay out of the Downtown Eastside neighborhood. So far, no charges have been filed against him.