By Canadian Press

Commons committee urges feds to consider decriminalizing simple drug possession

Jun 11, 2019 | 12:55 PM

OTTAWA — The House of Commons health committee is recommending the federal government look at Portugal’s decriminalization of simple possession of illicit drugs and examine how the idea could be “positively applied in Canada.”

The committee made the recommendation, among others, after committee members travelled across Canada to witness the impacts of methamphetamine use and its rapid increase in some communities. 

The committee’s report says many of the witnesses appearing before the committee called for the federal government to work with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and law-enforcement agencies to decriminalize simple possession of small quantities of illicit substances.

It also indicates the committee heard during its informal meetings across the country that even some health-care providers have negative attitudes toward people with substance-use problems and treat them badly.

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The Conservatives on the committee issued a dissenting report saying that several other things need to be done before decriminalization, such as making more drug-treatment available and improving public education.

The report also calls for a public awareness campaign to provide “credible and reliable information” about the potential harms of methamphetamine use and the risks posed by the toxicity of the illicit drug supply.

The Canadian Press