B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne says the province will not be renewing its drug decriminalization project.
During a press conference on Wednesday, she announced that the three-year pilot project will come to an end on Jan. 31.
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The project allowed the province to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs as an incentive for people to seek treatment and not fear criminal prosecution.
Osborne says that the goals of the project were not met.
“Despite the hard work and good intentions behind the pilot, it has not delivered the results we hoped for,” she explained.
To legally facilitate the project, which started on Jan. 31, 2023, the provincial government entered an agreement with Health Canada, representing the federal government.
The deal provided an exemption for cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and opioids.
The granted exemption outlined that personal use of certain illicit drugs in specific locations was allowed.
“We will not be asking the federal government to renew the exemption,” Osborne added.
At the same time, Osborne says that the government is increasing its efforts in prevention, treatment, and recovery through overdose-prevention sites.
“This does not mean the work ends here. We remain focused on strengthening the approaches that are helping people get timely, appropriate care,” Osborne said.
Conservatives, in Ottawa and Victoria, were against the project from the beginning.
In a written statement to 1130 NewsRadio, the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons criticizes the federal government for not stopping the project sooner.
The office says that the NDP government in B.C. is only stopping the project since public pressure has become too strong.
The opposition says it aims to bring life sentences for fentanyl traffickers and defund the supply of hydromorphone.
