Canada has announced that it is temporarily decriminalizing the storage of small quantities of some illicit drugs in the province of British Columbia.
This was reported by the BBC.
Adult residents of the province will be allowed to have 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA for their own use.
These substances will remain illegal, but people who have drugs for personal use will not be arrested. They will not be charged or seized drugs either. Instead, people will be offered information about available medical and social services.
British Columbia has called for such a move after some 2,000 people in British Columbia died of an overdose last year. This decriminalization is the first of its kind in Canada.
Federal Minister for Mental Health and Addiction Carolyn Bennett said: "We are doing this to save lives, but also to give people who use drugs dignity and choice."
The decriminalization program will run from January 31, 2023 to January 31, 2026. It will have exceptions for primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, airports, and Canadian troops.
- Canada legalized recreational cannabis use for adults in 2018.