Decriminalization

• Trio of Metro Vancouver councillors call for end of B.C.’s drug decriminalization pilot

  Linda Annis in Surrey, Daniel Fontaine in New Westminster and Alexa Loo in Richmond have joined together to call on the province to scrap the program.

  Politics

  Apr 22
  
• In Oregon, debate continues after state’s 180 on drug decriminalization

  Oregon has walked back key parts of its decriminalization pilot program, but some advocates say the program was never given a chance to succeed.

  Health

  Apr 19
  
• Advertisement
• ‘We’ve had to make a 180’: What Oregonians say they got wrong with decriminalization

  In 2020, Oregon voters approved Measure 110, which replaced drug possession charges with a $100 citation that could be avoided by calling a state-funded hotline seeking treatment.

  Health

  Apr 18
• Advertisement
• VPD reports dramatic drop in drug seizures since B.C. decriminalization began

  Vancouver police are reporting a major decrease in the number of drug seizures officers have conducted since B.C. implemented its decriminalization pilot project.

  Crime

  Mar 26
• Injunction blocking public drug-use law upheld by B.C.’s top court

  The bill was passed in the legislature in November, allowing for fines and potential imprisonment for people who refuse police orders not to consume drugs in certain public places.

  Politics

  Mar 1
• Ending drug decriminalization won’t ‘save a single life’: B.C. minister on anniversary

  On Jan. 31 last year, B.C. was granted a three-year exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act allowing adults to carry up to 2.5 grams of certain illicit drugs.

  Health

  Jan 31
• Court ruling on public drug use rankles B.C. police chiefs

  A top B.C. law enforcement official says a recent court decision placing a temporary injunction on a law to restrict public drug use takes away police enforcement tools.

  Politics

  Jan 2
• B.C. Supreme Court blocks public drug use ban

  The British Columbia Supreme Court has blocked new provincial laws against public consumption of illegal substances.

  Health

  Dec 29, 2023
• Advertisement
• Are there lessons for B.C. as Oregon tempers its decriminalization program?

  Oregon is walking back parts of its pioneering drug decriminalization initiative, but B.C. says it is staying the course on its own program, which it says is different in key ways.

  Crime

  Dec 14, 2023
• Advertisement
• ‘Set up for more deaths’: Advocate decries B.C.’s new bill restricting public drug use

  The New Democrats are tabling a new bill to ban drug use at beaches, sports fields and parks, as well as within six metres of a bus stop or the entrance to a business or residence.

  Health

  Oct 5, 2023