BC’s decriminalization plan doesn’t go far enough

published on November 1, 2021 in Pivot Legal Society

Vancouver, BC, Coast Salish Territories — Today, the Province unveiled its ‘made-in-BC’ model of decriminalization. While advocates agree it marks a step in the right direction, a close read of the fine print raises concerns that the model will not adequately protect people who use drugs. Numerous members of the Province’s Core Planning Table (CPT) are sounding the alarm on the last-minute inclusion of a low ‘cumulative threshold quantity,’ exclusion of people under 19, and reliance on police officers to provide health and social referrals—changes made without consultation or the support of the vast majority of CPT members. Among those speaking up today are the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, BC Centre on Substance Use, BC/Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Métis Nation BC, Moms Stop the Harm, Pivot Legal Society, Rural Empowered Drug Users Network, Society of Living Illicit Drug Users, and the Vancouver Area Network of Drugs Users…