First Nations leaders criticize B.C. for dropping drug decriminalization project
CBC
First Nations leaders in B.C. say the province’s decision to discontinue its drug decriminalization project is “a serious lapse of judgement."
“It will only deepen trauma, reinforce systemic racism in policing, and widen the disproportionate gaps in health and justice outcomes for First Nations,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs president, in a statement Thursday.
The three-year pilot project, which provides exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, was launched by the province Jan. 31, 2023. It allows people aged 18 and over to possess up to 2.5 grams of illicit drugs for personal use.
The pilot, which expires at the end of this month, was launched in response to the toxic drug crisis, which has claimed over 16,000 lives since B.C. declared it a public health emergency in 2016.
Chief Marilyn Slett, UBCIC secretary-treasurer, said in the statement the province’s decision to end the pilot puts the most vulnerable people in the toxic drug crisis at greater risk.
According to data from the First Nations Health Authority, First Nations people died from toxic drugs at 5.4 times the rate of other B.C. residents in the first six months of 2025.
“Decriminalization is one of many necessary steps to reduce overdose deaths, drug-related harms, and the overrepresentation of First Nations people in the criminal justice system,” said the UBCIC statement.
“B.C. is once again treating a public health emergency as a criminal issue, a shift that will disproportionately have negative impact on First Nations."
UBCIC said the province failed to support the drug decriminalization project by not investing in other models of care, such as prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery support.
At a news conference last Wednesday, B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne said the program, which was meant to reduce stigma around drug use in hopes to increase referrals to treatment, has not delivered the results the province hoped for.
"Our priority has always been, and it continues to be, making it easier for people who are struggling with addiction to get the help they need," said Osborne at the news conference.
Chris Livingstone, executive director of Aboriginal Front Door which provides services to unhoused people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, said regardless of policy changes, not much changed for drug users.
“There's still thousands of people that are out on the streets using," said Livingstone.
"It's all about access, and what's accessible down here is poison drugs. Everybody on the ground really knows, and anybody that's lost a family member knows, that they we need to replace the poison drug supply with something that's not gonna kill us."
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