Operating Grant: Evaluation of the British Columbia Exemption to Allow for Personal Possession of Small Amounts of Illegal Drugs
Progress Report Lay Summary: November 2025 – April 2026

Nominated Principal Investigator: Jürgen Rehm, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH); Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Matters (CRISM) – Ontario Node

Background

Background information can be found here: Semi-annual Meeting – November 2024

Progress Report Lay Summary: November 2025 – April 2026

During this reporting period, the research team conducted several key research activities. Analyses of drug possession seizures, cases, and incarceration rates showed significant declines during the initial decriminalization period, with seizures and cases returning to near pre-policy levels following the amendment.

The team launched Phase II of the survey of harm reduction (HR) and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) services. Findings indicated minimal policy-related changes to service delivery and limited receipt of dedicated funding or training, alongside persistent staffing and resource constraints that were exacerbated during implementation.

They also triangulated qualitative data from police and people who use drugs (PWUD), identifying convergence in understanding policy intent but divergence in experiences of implementation. A systematic review of the literature on BC's decriminalization pilot identified four cross-cutting barriers—policy design features, communication gaps, limited frontline training, and insufficient funding and infrastructure—which were corroborated through interviews with decriminalization staff.

Analysis of police training data suggested that, while training was generally perceived as informative, concerns remained regarding liability, community safety, and health system readiness.

To support knowledge mobilization, the team delivered nine presentations and published or submitted 14 academic manuscripts, alongside additional knowledge translation activities.

For more information

Additional information about this project can be found on the OCRINT webpage as well as the CIHR website.

More information on CIHR's Research in Substance Use initiative can be found online or email rsu-rst@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

For more information, visit CIHR's Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction or email inmha-insmt@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

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