B.C.’S decriminalization of people who use drugs comes into effect on Tuesday, January 31.
Health Canada granted the Province of B.C. a subsection 56(1) exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to decriminalize people who use drugs.
Beginning January 31 until January 31, 2026, adults (18 and older) in B.C. will not be subject to criminal charges if they possess a small amount of certain illegal drugs for personal use.
“We know criminalization drives people to use alone. Given the increasingly toxic drug supply, using alone can be fatal,” said Jennifer Whiteside, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Decriminalizing people who use drugs breaks down the fear and shame associated with substance use and ensures they feel safer reaching out for life-saving supports. This is a vital step to get more people connected to the services and supports as the Province continues to add them at an unprecedented rate.”
This exemption does not mean drugs are legalized. The drugs included in the exemption remain illegal; however, adults who are found in possession of a cumulative total of as much as 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA for personal use will no longer be arrested, charged or have their drugs seized, if abiding by the scope and conditions of the exemption. Instead, police will offer information on available health and social supports, as well as local treatment and recovery options.
“Every day, we are losing lives to overdoses from the increasingly toxic illegal drug supply. We are committed to stopping this tragic epidemic with bold action and significant policy change,” said Carolyn Bennett, federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health. “By supporting British Columbia in this exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, our government is providing the Province with the ability to help divert people away from the criminal justice system and toward the health and social services they need. We look forward to continuous collaboration with the Province to measure the public-health and public-safety outcomes, help save lives and bring an end to this crisis.”
To prepare for January 31, the Province has worked with police leaders to develop training resources and practical guidance, which are now available to more than 9,000 front-line police officers.
In addition, the Province is building new pathways into the health-care system by hiring health authority specific positions dedicated to building connections with local service providers and people referred by police. These positions will also help connect people with resources and information on voluntary mental-health and addictions supports in their own community.
Drug possession in any amount will continue to be a criminal offence on K-12 school grounds and at licensed child care facilities. Further, decriminalization does not apply to youth 17 and younger. Youth found in possession of any amount of illegal drugs are subject to the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act, which offers them alternatives to criminal charges in some cases.
Together, the federal and provincial governments will be working closely to evaluate and monitor the exemption to ensure the desired outcomes of decriminalization are met and there are no unintended consequences.
This exemption is just one tool in the Province’s toolbox in the fight against the toxic drug crisis. In addition, the B.C. government has been urgently working to build a comprehensive and seamless system of mental-health and addictions care that works for all British Columbians. This includes adding hundreds of new treatment beds and increasing access to harm-reduction programs, such as supervised consumption sites, safer supply and naloxone.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C. Provincial Health Officer, said: “The decriminalization of people who are in possession of drugs for personal use is one additional important step to save lives as we continue to tackle the toxic drug crisis in B.C. This exemption will help reduce the stigma around substance use that leads people to use alone and will help connect people to the health and social supports they need.”
Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Wilson, Vancouver Police Department, and Vice President, BC Association of Chiefs of Police, said: “Decriminalization is an important part of an integrated approach, along with safer supply and public-health supports, to divert persons who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and toward health services and pathways of care because substance use is a health matter, not a criminal one. This approach has the potential to address harms associated with substance use, reduce stigma, prevent overdose deaths and increase access to health and social services.”
Dr. Nel Wieman, Acting Chief Medical Officer, First Nations Health Authority, said: “The data clearly show that First Nations people continue to be disproportionately impacted by the ongoing toxic drug crisis in British Columbia. This is because First Nations people experience stereotyping, racism and discrimination in many different ways, including the health-care and judicial systems. Decriminalization will help to mitigate the stigma and shame attached to substance use and reduce the negative impacts of criminal charges, which is especially important to First Nations people who are over-represented in the criminal justice system.”
Learn More:
To view the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.
For more information:Â gov.bc.ca/decriminalization
