The decision does not legalize the substances, but Canadians in the province on the Pacific coast who possess up to 2.5 grams of any illegal drug for personal use will not be arrested or prosecuted.
The three-year exemption, which takes effect on January 31 next year and applies to everyone over the age of 18, includes opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy.
The province’s chief medical officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said the message was “an important step towards eliminating fear and shame and stigma”.
– This will not solve this crisis on its own, but it will make a difference, she continues.
British Columbia is the first province to apply for an exemption from Canadian drug law of this kind. Carolyn Bennett, the federal health minister, says it can serve as a model for other jurisdictions in the country.
– Real-time adjustments will be made if we receive analyzes of data that indicate that something must change. For too many years, ideological opposition to harm reduction has cost lives, she says, assuring that this is done to save lives.
Since 2016, more than 9,400 deaths from drug poisoning with illegal drugs have occurred in the province. Last year, 2,223 such deaths were registered, which was a record high for the province, which has just over five million inhabitants.
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart says the exemption from Canada’s drug laws is “just the beginning.”
– This is a big, big thing, he says.