The post Canadian Lawmakers Pushing To Decriminalize All Drugs appeared first on High Times.
A group of lawmakers in Canada wants the country to move much further than cannabis legalization. They want the country to decriminalize all illegal drugs. With Canadian lawmakers pushing to decriminalize all drugs, conversations about drug laws and public health are receiving heightened attention.
Decriminalization Sparks Debate
A group of Liberal Members of Parliament (MPs) is now calling on the federal government to decriminalize the possession and use of all illegal drugs. Lawmakers in this group are pushing to get a broad decriminalization bill on the 2019 federal election ballot.
The idea is grabbing attention throughout the country and is sparking some lively debate. Liberal lawmakers in favor of the proposal see it as a way of effectively treating drug abuse problems by reframing addiction. They want people to see it as a public health concern rather than a criminal one.
Those in favor of decriminalization cite other countries who have made similar changes as evidence that this approach works. In particular, many have pointed to Portugal.
Starting in 2001, Portugal got rid of criminal penalties for possessing and consuming drugs. Instead of arresting, prosecuting, fining, and jailing people who use drugs, the country has re-routed resources toward expanding a variety of health services.
“We see on all the metrics that matter, in terms of a public health approach, positive success stories,” Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith told sources. “I think the easiest way of thinking about it is we currently use the criminal justice system to tackle drug abuse and let’s use the health system as much as possible to tackle drug abuse instead.”
On the other hand, Conservative lawmakers have