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From 31st January 2023 onwards, it will no longer be a crime to possess up to 2.5 grams of specific drugs for those aged 18 and above in British Columbia, a province in Canada. These drugs include cocaine, Methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy) and opioids. It is a pilot that lasts until 2026, as Canada seeks to test out the policy’s effectiveness in resolving the health crisis in Canada. Such a policy was implemented with the idea of shifting the stigma on drug abusers, treating them as patients instead of criminals. However, despite such implementation, the possible benefits of decriminalisation is still unknown, and some argue that the loosening of the policy could incentivise drug users to engage in more risky actions that could worsen the drug crisis. Also, it is argued that the policy may not tackle the root cause. This article seeks to discuss the effectiveness of Canada’s decriminalisation on the possession of hard drugs.
Now, such a policy can be effective, when considering how drug abuse has usually stemmed from underlying social, economic and mental health issues. Especially since the pandemic, where economic conditions have worsened and mental health issues have risen, leading to a worrying increase in drug use. This policy has the potential to allow authorities to focus on treatment instead of criminal punishment on drug users. For context, British Columbia has had rising levels of drug related deaths. Overdose deaths in 2022 was at 41.7 per 100 individuals, rising to more than five times of the rate in 1996. With this in mind, one might believe that aiding the social and economic problems of these users would be more beneficial than punishing them and putting them in jail. Furthermore, countries like Portugal have implemented such a policy with some level of success. In 2001, Portugal became the first country to decriminalise hard drugs, where it claimed that there were statistical victories with the increase in illicit drug use being limited. Hence, there is expectation that such a policy in Canada can be effective and successful.
However, it is worth noting that Portugal’s supposed success did come with improved economic and social policies, and was not mainly due to the new drug policies implemented by the government. Simultaneously, there are claims by the Office of National Drug Policy in the US that Portugal's success cannot be overestimated since there were still increases in drug related deaths between 2004 to 2006.
As such, it is fair for one to think that Canada’s policy may also come with limited effectiveness. This is especially since British Columbia has not been successful in its measures to reduce drug use, with illicit drug use rising from the third leading cause in 2011 to the first leading cause of unnatural deaths since 2015 in Canada. Moreover, it is argued that decreasing the consequences might motivate drug users in British Columbia to undertake more riskier actions. Next, such a policy might not even tackle the root cause, with some experts claiming that many individual’s substance use disorders begin before they are 18 years old. Also, some argue that the root cause of drug related deaths are the contaminants in the illicit drug supply, leading to many advocating for safe regulated drug supplies from the authorities. Yet, one might again argue that a safe and regulated supply might instead enable and encourage drug addiction within Canada. Hence, there is no easy solution to reducing drug use, and there are certain hurdles that might impede policies by the Canadian authorities to lessen the consequences of drug use.
In synthesis, tackling drug abuse has always been a nuanced issue. A policy may work in one country, but it might have a different effect in another country. Different people respond differently to decriminalisation. Some drug users might abuse this policy and act even more rashly, while some might appreciate this policy, a policy that focuses on treatment for them. Though, in my opinion, the Canadian government also needs to strike a balance in liberalising these laws and ensuring a certain level of enforcement for drug users. That is why an experiment is needed in a small area before it is implemented nationwide. It is certainly interesting to see the effects of these policies on the drug crisis in Canada.
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