The federal government says it is open to further decriminalizing small-scale heavy drug possession in jurisdictions across the country, while conservatives say they support what they call a health-based approach to addiction.
Mental Health and Addiction Minister Caroline Bennett said on Wednesday that while the government’s goal is to expand decriminalization, it should be done in conjunction with local authorities and reflect the reality in every part of the country.
Bennett made remarks a day after announcing that from next year, Canadians in British Columbia aged 18 and over will be able to own small quantities of hard drugs with a special legal exception.
“The four drugs planned in British Columbia may not be the four drugs that another part of Canada would like to use, so there are different local realities,” Bennett said.
WATCH Will the government consider decriminalizing the possession of small drugs at the national level?
Will the government consider decriminalizing the possession of small drugs at the national level?
Mental Health and Addiction Minister Carolyn Bennett joins Power & Politics to discuss the government’s decision to grant legal exemption to BC to decriminalize possession of small quantities of certain illicit drugs.
This first-of-its-kind exception will allow people in British Columbia to have up to 2.5 grams of combined opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine or MDMA. It shall enter into force on 31 January 2023 and shall last until 31 January 2026, unless repealed or replaced before that.
Release means that there will be no arrests, charges or confiscations for personal possession at or below the 2.5 gram threshold.
Vancouver and Toronto Public Health have filed similar exemption requests separately.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said on Tuesday that the introduction of decriminalization in British Columbia alone leaves most Canadians with addictions facing prosecution, instead of the health-based approach to drug addiction offered in British Columbia.
“Honestly, it is a shame not to take a national approach to the national crisis,” Singh said. “The prime minister must show leadership here. We can save lives today.”
Singh called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to support the bill of private member of the NDP MP Gord Jones, which will expand decriminalization across the country. This bill was defeated on Wednesday.
We need to work with the provinces: Trudeau
When Singh asked about Trudeau’s Jones bill during a period of questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the prime minister said he supported the spirit of the legislation, but not its approach.
“By adopting a nationwide approach to healthcare, which is exactly the approach you need to take, you need to work with the people who actually run healthcare in every different province,” Trudeau said.
“This means working with the provinces. This means working with municipalities. That means working with front-line workers, and that’s exactly what we’ve done to move forward with BC, responsibly to make sure there’s a framework around it. “
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defends his government’s partial approach to drug decriminalization in the House of Commons on June 1, 2022 (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press)
Earlier in the day, Singh said the Jones bill would introduce a national strategy to ensure a safe drug supply and allow the deletion of criminal records related to addictions that create stigma and make it difficult for drug users to regain their lives.
The HIV legal network said it also welcomed the changes in British Columbia, but said the federal government should have done more.
“It is disappointing that decriminalization on the model announced on May 31 will not protect all people who use drugs from the harm of criminalization,” the group said in a statement.
“We support progress, but we dream of more. We want full decriminalization for all.”
In BC we have de facto decriminalization: Tori MP
Although he disapproved of the decriminalization program in British Columbia, Conservative MP Michael Barrett, the party’s health critic, said the government’s focus should be on replacing criminal sanctions on consumers with a health-based approach, while focusing on traffickers.
“Canadians who are struggling with addiction deserve compassion, access to treatment and a path to recovery, and we believe that the federal government must prioritize this care by expanding treatment and recovery programs so that they can receive help.” said Barrett. “Our country’s drug laws must target people who traffic in and sell illicit drugs.”
Conservative MP Brad Vis, who represents the ride to Mission-Matsky-Fraser Canyon in British Columbia, said that while he supports the healthcare approach, the move to decriminalize retail ownership in British Columbia is little more than a token.
“We already have de facto decriminalization in British Columbia,” he said. “So what does decriminalization do in addition to be symbolic, when it is already a de facto process of our law enforcement and the Crown’s lawyer raising charges in British Columbia?”
Vis said he supported the move from criminalization to a health-based approach to addiction, but only if that change comes with “the necessary treatment and policies to provide people with the mental and physical health they need.”
Bennett said BC’s offer of release was successful because the proposal discusses how the provinces will strengthen social services to manage people with addictions diverted from the criminal justice system.
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