The western coastal province will receive an exemption from February next year from the law that criminalizes the possession of opioids, cocaine, amphetamine and other hard drugs. Adults will not be arrested or charged if they have less than 2.5 grams, nor will their drugs be seized. Users are advised to seek medical help for addictions.
In Canada, 26,690 people died from opioid overdoses between January 2016 and September last year. In British Columbia it is estimated to be six people a day. “We are doing this to save lives, but also to give people who use drugs dignity and choices,” said Secretary of Mental Health and Addiction Carolyn Bennett.
It does not rule out expanding the project to other parts of Canada. Cities like Montreal and Toronto have already shown interest. In the United States, only the state of Oregon allows possession of small amounts of hard drugs.