British Columbians will not be arrested or charged for possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use for three years after getting approval from the federal government. The changes are implemented as part of an initiative the B.C. government says is meant to address the overdose crisis in the province.
Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of mental health and addictions, said the in a statement that exemption is not “legalization” of the drugs.
People found in possession of illicit drugs under the 2.5-gram threshold will not have the drugs seized. Instead, the police will only “provide information on local health and social services and voluntary referrals to those services,” the statement reads.
The exemption applies to the majority of locations in the province, with exceptions for airports, elementary and secondary school premises, premises of licensed child care facilities, and on Canadian Coast Guard helicopters and vessels. This means anyone found in possession of any amount of illicit drugs in these locations will still face criminal charges.
Underage youth in B.C. are not covered by the exemption, and those between the ages of 12 and 17 will be subjected to the Youth Criminal Justice Act if found in possession of illicit drugs.
The exemption makes B.C. the first jurisdiction in North America to lift prohibitions on the possession of small amounts of so-called hard drugs. While the U.S. state of Oregon decriminalized such possession, the drugs found are still seized and those in possession face a US$100 fine.
