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B.C. to End Drug Decriminalization Pilot on Jan. 31

Officials cite unmet goals, pledging a pivot to treatment, prevention, recovery, overdose‑prevention services.

A drug user slumps in a back lane in Vancouver in a file photo from May 31, 2022. British Columbia decriminalized hard drugs for personal consumption on Jan. 31, 2023.
The pilot program was launched in 2023 to make it easier for people struggling with addiction to reach out for help without fear of being criminalized.
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Overview

  • Health Minister Josie Osborne confirmed the province will not seek renewal of its Health Canada exemption, ending the pilot on Jan. 31.
  • The exemption, in effect since Jan. 31, 2023, decriminalized personal possession up to a total of 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA for adults.
  • After complaints about public drug use, Ottawa narrowed the policy on May 7, 2024 to possession in private homes, legally sheltered places and designated health and supervised‑consumption sites.
  • The government says resources will shift to prevention, treatment, recovery and harm‑reduction services, while BC RCMP prepare to fully enforce the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act with priority on serious offences.
  • Researchers and advocates contest the claim of failure, citing studies that found fewer policing‑related barriers to harm‑reduction services and fewer criminal‑justice encounters under decriminalization.