Ottawa's refusal renews debate on drugs

Some experts cast doubt on city’s bid for decriminalization

- WENDY GILLIS AND ALYSHAH HASHAM

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks said Toronto’s proposal to decriminalize personal drug possession didn’t do enough to “protect public health and maintain public safety.”

With Toronto’s request to the federal government officially rejected, proponents of decriminalization for illegal drugs say they are “dismayed” the city has lost what they say is a key measure to fight the ongoing toxic drug crisis.

Colin Johnson, co-chair of the Toronto Harm Reduction Alliance — a grassroots organization composed of front-line workers, researchers and people who use drugs said the group was “despondent” to see Ottawa’s refusal late Friday to grant Toronto’s request to decriminalize drug possession for personal use.

Removing drug use from the justice system would have a positive knock-on effect, Johnson said, including reducing the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous people in the court system and avoiding the escalating social problems associated with having a criminal record.

“We are somewhat quite dismayed,” Johnson said. “Decriminalization was one part to resolving the drug situation that we have here in Canada.”

But amid public sparring in recent weeks over Toronto’s request to Health Canada  including vocal opposition from the province and federal Conservatives after B.C. recriminalized drug possession in public places — some experts had already been expressing skepticism over the city’s request, saying the focus on decriminalization is an unhelpful distraction from the lack of progress on other solutions to the drug toxicity problem.