B.C. asks federal government for exemption to decriminalize illicit drugs

British Columbia has already eased some rules, allowing for prescription opioids to be given to illicit drug users
Global News (Canada)
Thursday, February 11, 2021

canada opiod crisisBritish Columbia is asking the federal government to grant the province an exemption under federal law to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use. If the request is granted B.C. would become the first jurisdiction in Canada with the exemption. B.C. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson sent a letter to Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu on Feb. 3 formally asking for the exemption. The request is in line with Premier John Horgan’s repeated calls for the federal government to decriminalize small amounts of illicit drugs. (See also: 2020 was B.C.'s deadliest year ever for drug overdoses, coroner says)