Health Canada’s rebuff of compassion clubs predates DULF: Here’s why it matters

published on March 9, 2026 by Marilou Gagnon in The Mainlander

Compassion clubs have resurfaced in recent years as a response to the toxic unregulated drug crisis in British Columbia (BC), and more specifically the need for community-based safer supply programs and models that meet the needs of people who use drugs.

Compassion clubs – membership-based and community-run organizations that provide compassionate access to a range of substances and other resources – have historically acted as life-saving initiatives. Compassion clubs in North America emerged in the 1980s and 1990s primarily in response to the AIDS crisis and the role of medicinal cannabis in relieving symptoms, improving health and quality of life, and supporting end-of-life care. Research conducted at the time found cannabis compassion clubs to be beneficial and aligned with community needs. This was the case in the United States and in Canada, specifically in BC…