Per British Columbia Government
Canada's British Columbia Decriminalizes Owning 2.5 Grams of Illegal Drugs for Adults 18 and Older
2/1/2023
Canada's British Columbia has just announced that it will no longer subject adults aged 18 and above to criminal charges if they are caught owning less than 2.5 grams of illegal drugs. Aside from no more charges, the drugs will also not be seized.
The new law comes to effect under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which looks at this move as a way for them to fight against the crisis of toxic drugs. They announced that it would help reduce the stigma as it shifts its perspective from a criminal justice issue towards a public health matter.
The act will take effect on January 31, 2023, and end on January 31, 2026. Under the act, users will be allowed to carry four categories of illegal substances as long as they are under 2.5 grams.
These include the following:
- Opioids (examples include morphine, heroin, and fentanyl)
- Crack (powdered cocaine mixed with water and baking soda) and powder cocaine (hydrochloride salt in powdered form)
- Meth (methamphetamine)
- MDMA (ecstasy. Molly not mentioned)
The announcement also makes it clear that any other illegal drugs not included in the exemptions will not be included in the Act's coverage. This means that users could still get criminal charges if they own more than 2.5 grams of drugs that were not included on the list.
While British Columbia's limit is at 2.5 grams, Maryland legalized marijuana in 2022, allowing people aged 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 grams. However, this will only take effect starting July 1, 2023.
The Canadian Armed Forces members are also not exempted from this law due to its Code of Service Discipline. Minors caught with any amount of drugs will also be subject to the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act.
In the US, Biden has already pardoned people with previous convictions for marijuana possession, which will affect about 6,500 people from 1992 to 2021. Officials said that this would include thousands more in the District of Columbia.
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