B.C. drug law exemption could cut seizures of some drugs in half

published on January 26, 2023 by Nathan Griffiths in Vancouver Sun

Vancouver police seized hundreds of kilograms of illicit drugs in recent years, but they were often just one or two grams at a time.

A Postmedia analysis of more than 15,000 drugs seized from July 2020 to July 2022 found that big busts were relatively rare. The typical amount was less than two grams for some of the most common drugs seized by the VPD.

Some drug-policy researchers say the findings are troubling.

“We know that those seizures can be really catastrophic events for people. If people are in acute withdrawal and they have their drugs taken away from them, their options are very grim,” said Kora DeBeck, a research scientist with the B.C. Centre for Substance Use…