That's methed up..It appears the City of Vancouver is becoming one big drug party as illicit dope are being sold to users with little pushback from police.."Welcome to Vancouver," Aaron Gunn said as he stood outside of "The Drugs Store" one block from Hastings Steet and Main Street in downtown Vancouver.."The only city in North America currently serving cocaine, crack, heroin and crystal meth, in broad daylight, with no consequences from the city or police.".Gunn was the maker of the recent documentary "Vancouver is Dying."."18 PLUS ID REQUIRED," Gunn tweeted in front of a sign listing amounts of drugs with prices.."You can't even buy a beer in BC at 18, but now you can buy crystal meth? And crack?".In June 2022, B.C. decriminalized personal possession of cocaine for the first time in 111 years..“Today we take the first steps in the much needed bold action,” said Mental Health Minister Dr. Carolyn Bennett..“This is not legalization,” said Bennett. “We have not taken this decision lightly.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, the federal government granted B.C. an exemption under the Controlled Drugs And Substances Act to suspend criminal sanctions against possession of up to 2.5 grams of cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids, or ecstasy..“There will be no arrests or charges for personal possession at or below 2.5 grams,” the Department of Health said in a statement. Possession remains illegal for minors under any circumstances or any adult in a school, daycare or airport..“For too many years the ideological opposition to harm reduction has cost lives,” said Bennett. “British Columbia has been the epicentre of the overdose crisis.”.The B.C. Coroners Service counted 10,481 drug overdose deaths since 2014. The fatalities were typically men in Vancouver over age 30..“No longer criminally prohibiting personal possession of small amounts of certain controlled substances is just one tool in a full range of solutions to fight the overdose crisis we are facing,” said Bennett. The exemption takes effect on Jan. 31, 2023 and will last for three years..The B.C. cabinet sought the exemption last November 1. It is the first of its kind in Canada since Parliament criminalized cocaine, opium and morphine in 1911. The City of Vancouver in 2011 won an initial exemption under the Substances Act to permit a drug injection site, the first of 37 currently operating across Canada..A Department of Health Expert Task Force on Substance Use last August 13 recommended national decriminalization of cocaine, heroin, meth and other narcotics..“Penalties of any kind for the simple possession and use of substances are harmful to Canadians,” said the task force..In April, Vancouver police tried to take East Hastings Street back from the homeless and drug addicts..City of Vancouver employees began in April to dismantle tents on the downtown's east side..“The street is usually packed with dealers, illicit stores, and broken people,” the witness said..“Now the streets are totally clear.”.East Hastings Street was littered with crime with people living in tents and make-shift structures..The removals began on Main Street..For around eight months the encampment was in place and it was the fourth major one in Vancouver..Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a statement, eight encampment residents who asked for shelter were accommodated..Bylaw officers and police worked to remove the garbage and tents despite opposition from residents advocating not to do so..“Police cleaned up the street, moving all homeless and addicts along in one swoop,” the witness told the Western Standard..She could only capture a few photos because she was afraid drug addicts and dealers who littered her street would see her taking photos..READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Poilievre says Liberal's 'safe supply' money should be put into treatment, rehab. Conservative Leader Pierre PoilievreConservative leader Pierre Poilievre .Conservative Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre told the Western Standard in an exclusive interview he believes the Liberal's “safe supply” of drugs in Canada is not safe..In 2020, Health Canada began funding safer supply pilot projects which use prescribed medications as an alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply to help reduce the risk of overdose..“The theory is if the government gets people powerful products, it can guarantee they will be free of contaminants that cause sudden overdose or death,” Poilievre said..“But in practice, what happens is these drugs get people high for a while, and then they're not strong enough. So then the criminal sells the drugs to kids. In order to profit to buy fentanyl, and other more powerful drugs. Those kids get hooked on the government-funded supply. They then graduate to more dangerous drugs.”.The project of “safe supply” was announced in July 2019 at the cost of $76.2 million when the feds claimed key lifesaving measures protect people from an illegal drug supply that contains toxic fentanyl, and addressed the growing methamphetamine use..“Vancouver is in a state of emergency. People are dying every day from an unregulated, contaminated drug supply — these are preventable deaths. People have been dying for many years as a result of the toxic drug supply, and following a drastic spike in deaths in April 2016, a provincial public health emergency was finally declared,” the City of Vancouver stated..“Since that time thousands of people have lost their lives to a drug supply poisoned with fentanyl; a cheap and synthetic opioid detected in the majority of overdose deaths. To date, drug testing indicated further contaminants such as carfentanil and benzodiazepines, making it more difficult and complex to reverse overdoses.”.Poilievre said since the policy of providing taxpayer-funded drugs was introduced, BC has seen a 300% increase in overdose deaths..“So it hasn't worked. What we need is to take that same money and put it into treatment and rehabilitation,” Poilievre said..READ MORE: Trudeau tells Halifax students the best way to cure addiction is with more 'safe supply' drugs.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently participated in a town hall with university students in Halifax and told them the government will “do what the science tells them” when it comes to addiction and safe supply in Canada..Trudeau said “All we are doing is walking forward in a significant way on what the science tells us the best ways to support people struggling in addictions. First of all, safe consumption sites.”.“There was one when we came into office in 2015. Now there are dozens and dozens and dozens across the country and they are saving lives significantly. Needle exchange programs, safe consumption, as well as making sure there's a safer supply so people who are addicted can get clean drug supplies, as opposed to having to buy dirty and deadly stuff.”
