Canada: Health minister rejects calls for broader decriminalisation of illicit drugs

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Canada: Health minister rejects calls for broader decriminalisation of illicit drugs

6 April 2017

The federal Liberal government will soon move to eliminate criminal law consequences for marijuana use but Health Minister Jane Philpott turned aside calls Wednesday to decriminalize other illicit drugs in the face of an opioid crisis.

After an impassioned speech Wednesday to a drug policy conference on how she is personally “fixated” on ending opioid overdose deaths, Philpott said the government would not loosen criminal laws on any other controlled substances.

Philpott first said it wasn’t solely up to her because she works with ministers of justice and public safety on drug policy. Finally, she suggested the only way to support a broader health approach to other drugs is to gather “a lot more evidence” through pilot projects.

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