The goal is to offer these people an alternative to overcome their addiction
They would avoid increasing the prison population of the country
Canada has announced that will temporarily decriminalize possession of small amounts of some hard drugs such as cocaine, MDMA and others. It will be produced specifically in the state of British Columbia, which is the one with the greatest problems with consumption. More than 2,000 people died of drug overdoses last year in this region of Canada.
It is a three-year test in which they will try to fight against drugs in a less blunt and punitive way than the one they used until now. The adults may possess 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA. That they are decriminalized does not mean that they are legal, on the contrary. Adults who possess it will not be arrested or anything will be done against them, but will be sent to health and social services to fight their addiction.
The objective in the own words of the authorities of the State of British Columbia, according to the BBC, is “to eliminate the shame that often prevents people from seeking help to save their lives.”