蜜芽传媒

To Canada where the government has given the green light to a scheme which will temporarily decriminalise the possession of some illegal drugs like cocaine, MDMA and opioids.

The three-year exemption in the province of British Columbia is a first for Canada and is intended to reduce the fear among users of being arrested for possession and to make it easier for people to approach the authorities and seek help.

While the substances would remain illegal, those found with up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs will no longer be detained or charged, or have their drugs seized.

Since 2016,when British Columbia declared a public health emergency, over 9,400 people have died due to drug overdoses.

Newsday spoke to Toronto based lawyer and cannabis advocate Jack Lloyd - who legally represents drug users across the country and tries to prevent them being criminalised.

(Photo: A man sells kush, a strain of Cannabis, openly along East Hastings Street where high levels of drug use, homelessness, poverty, crime, mental illness and sex work is prolific on the 4th of May, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Credit: Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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