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Canadian province declares hard drugs decriminalized in Philadelphia.
It’s British Columbia. Why not put it in the headline, cbs news? >

You know why >

The Devil's Lettuce! >

I work in downtown Surrey, and ANYTHING to help welcome. We have so many deaths in that area. >

How will this reduce deaths ? >

Other countries have seen a lot of success with this method. I dont know Canada's and assume its similar.
The idea is to remove barriers to recovery as well as making it safe for people to consume.
Things like more pure drugs (not cut with anything dangerous), clean needles, lightening stigma, a support network, and doctors on site. >

How will it enable more pure drugs ? [ I assume they already have a clean needle program - most places have]  - thre is no mention of support network or doctors on sites. The Portuguese model works-ish because the users are persuaded to join a rehab. Once they are in rehab - they cannot leave/just sign themselves out >

Well they would have to supply it. IIRC  Switzerland saw success with treatments like this, but Im not well versed in the details. >

Worked in Portugal >

Portugal also has mandatory treatment, however.  Canada will not.  There's little change in "help" for those that will use this system, Portugal has tons.  So, im skeptical, but I suppose we'll see! >

Their "dissuasion commissions" made up of lawyers and social workers do not have the power to mandate compulsory treatment. They either recommend treatment or community service for addicts and if they refuse the commission can issue a sanction such a fine or taking away personal possessions.
Authorities can't forcibly drag addicts into treatment but once they voluntarily consent to treatment they have conditions for release, you can't just check yourself out any time if you have a history of overdosing. Apparently 85% of their addicts voluntarily agree to treatment when asked to by a dissuasion commission. >

Very interested to see if this works. >

I hope it helps make it better, because it sure can't make it any worse. >

They decriminalized possession, but kept the punishments for distribution. So drug quality will remain the same, similar number of people will likely use (if not slightly more that just feared the penalties), cops will return drugs to people rather than confiscating them, and the number of deaths will drop?! What?
If you're gonna decriminalize it, at least provide a safe source for it?? >

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 80%. (I'm a bot)


Ottawa - A Canadian province on Tuesday decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and other hard drugs in a radical policy shift to address an opioid overdose crisis that has killed thousands.
Kathryn Botchford, whose husband Jason died of a drug overdose in 2019, said she had no idea he'd even been using drugs.
Canada has spent more than Can$800 million to try to stem the opioid crisis, including on addiction treatment, Naloxone supplies and opening 39 supervised drug consumption sites across Canada.


Extended Summary | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: drug^#1 addiction^#2 more^#3 health^#4 people^#5 >

“Canada province”. Just say the name of the province. >

It sounds like a medieval person talking to someone during their travels. "I come from Canada province." >

One of the stated aims is to reduce stigma. But the stigma of these drugs keeps a lot of people from trying in the first place. If you reduce that, you may end up with lots of people with a more casual attitude who end up hooked.
I don’t think this will achieve what the provincial government hopes. >

Unless the government regulated the distribution of the drugs. That way, usage may increase, but at safe dosage levels. People will know what they’re getting and that should reduce overdose deaths, right? >

How I view this is that the more you tell people not do something, they're going to want to do it even more. Some might even do it just to spite you.
So I can see this going in a positive direction weirdly. >

There's also the huge issue of getting people help. Understandably, when someone is in possession of illegal drugs, theyre going to be wary about getting help from a group that might have ties to the government. You decriminalize basic possession and it opens more of those people up to seeking help. >

Help is readily available for alkholism - and there are fuktons of folk around who are not interested/dont ant to take that up - and there is no stigma/offence attached to that. >

Looks how crazy it was during prohibition though.  People were getting poisoned by alcohol.   Pretty similar situation. >

They were getting poisoned by de-natured alcohol, how is decimalisation going to help this  ? dealers are not going to stop cutting stuff with shit >

They did with booze...  I don't see anyone getting alcohol that's cut with kerosene... lol >

? this is just decriminalising drug use - not chaing how it is made available, dealers are still going to adulterate as much as ever. >

Look at weed.  Once decriminalization it starts getting monitored and safer ways to get the drugs are presented.  I see what you are saying, but there are examples of this method having good results. >

Philadelphia next! 
Do Philadelphia next!