Police chiefs call on Ottawa to decriminalize possession of illicit drugs for personal use

Oddly enough with the lax legal approach to dealing with people using drugs in Canada we've already in essence decriminalized all drugs. TBH I can't think of one time in the last 20 years a person has been arrested for simple possession in BC? Hell these clowns don't even make the punishement match the crime when they catch assholes pushing Fentanyl so what's the point of arresting someone for using if his drug dealer is free to deal with little or no impediment other than a short stint in jail.

So if we decriminalized all drugs all we'd be doing is putting a rubber stamp on the shadow process that's already in place.

Besides if it doesn't work and turns into a drug free for all because of the no consequences format of law enforcement all it takes is a stroke of the pen to bring back laws that will take the drugs out of the hands of the users. But decriminalization or not the justice system stop their lax attitude towards the importation and distribution of illicit drugs because without approach to the real criminals here we're never going to stop the cycle.

Except we haven't and the laws are still on the books and the underlying policy is still not updated.

The opioid crisis is still raging and this is being stoked by China flooding the market with carfentanil. This has nothing to do with law an order and it very much is a health crisis being exacerbated by bad faith actors.

I applaud this 1st step but it is WAY too late. The horse left the barn 5 years ago and this does nothing about addressing safe supply. This has burned though our institutions and thousands have died as a result.

Like I said it's been decriminalized for decades and all this does is make if official. Safe supply is another issue. If the gov't could control the drugs they could control the flow and distribution which might prevent the addiction numbers from climbing.

But you've got to remember that these are the same Police Chiefs who made the bold claim that legalizing marijuana would take control of it out of the hands of the gangs but as we've seen that was just another pipe dream. The criminals can and will undercut the gov't everytime and safe supply likely won't change that fact.

So if you want to hurt the gangs and the dealers you can give the junkies free drugs and hope it works and the drug dealers don't continue to make more clients that you have to feed the habit of. Or you can put the people you're in competition with in jail for a period of time that will make them think twice about breaking the law and creating even more devastation.

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Yeah, let's keep thinking like that for another 80 years, it's worked so well. Meanwhile I'll just keep the "gangs" in business buying $60 worth of pain balm a couple times a year and the couple up the road can risk fines, tax audits and confiscation of their farm because they grow two dozen plants instead of just four.

You obviously don't seem to understand the difference between manufacturing and distributing fentanyl laced cocaine and marijuana. Because if you did I'm pretty sure that you'd realise that if you're caught with 5 plants you won't be doing time, period and at worst will just lose your illegal crop.

But, the problem with the hard drug dealers is that they're getting relatively the same amount of jail time as the marijuana grower while doing much more societal damage. The hard drug dealer should be going to jail for life especially where fentanyl is involved whereas the illegal marijuana dealer should be fined and continued to be fined until he or she learns that the law is the law and just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean you can just ignore it.

But it's apparent that Decriminalization isn't good enough for you, and you want all drugs made legal so everyone who can make, grow or sell can do whatever the fuck they want with legal impunity.

The law is only as good as the ability to enforce it and the realistic ability to maintain that law.

You could ban oxygen in theory but how would you enforce it? Same issue with pain management. We have tried banning it but where there is a will there will be a way. Like grass growing though concrete walkways life finds a way. Not coming to terms with that only delays the inevitable. Drugs are and have always been a health issue not a moral one.

Sorry FOG, there IS no fentanyl laced marijuana. That's some bullshit dreamed up by someone. Weed is cheap as dirt, why would you possibly lace it with something costly? You can't get any more for it.
If you're busted for trafficking coke or heroin you definitely will be punished more than for a grow op. And decades of experience shows locking people up doesn't do shit to affect demand and use.