Police drug seizures increased during first year of decriminalization, SFU study finds

published on September 9, 2026 by Raynee Novak in CityNews Vancouver

Police drug seizures increased during the first year of British Columbia’s drug decriminalization pilot project, according to a study released Wednesday by Simon Fraser University (SFU).

Under the pilot, police were not supposed to arrest or charge people for possessing up to 2.5 grams of certain illicit drugs for personal use. The initiative was intended to reduce interactions between police and people who use drugs.

“Instead, our study found a significant upward trend of police drug seizures without making arrest,” said Kanna Hayashi, co-author of the study, professor of health sciences at SFU and St. Paul’s Hospital Chair in Substance Use Research.

According to the study, Vancouver police reported no possession seizures involving less than 2.5 grams between February and October 2023. However, self-reported data from people who use drugs painted a different picture…