ArticleSubstance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy2023
"2.5 g, I could do that before noon": a qualitative study on people who use drugs' perspectives on the impacts of British Columbia's decriminalization of illegal drugs threshold limit.
Article in Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Drug decriminalization: a co-designed study outlining the implications for providers of youth services.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Stable patterns, shifting risks: the impact of British Columbia's decriminalization and recriminalization policies on drug use behaviours.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- 'I won't make it without this program': the impact of safer opioid supply program closures in Ontario.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Unpacking the Effects of Decriminalization: Understanding Drug Use Experiences and Risks among Individuals Who Use Drugs in British Columbia.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- The decriminalization of illicit drugs in British Columbia: a national evaluation protocol.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Perceptions of prospective pharmaceutical stimulant substitution treatments among people who use illicit stimulants in Vancouver, Canada.The International journal on drug policy · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
backgroundIn May 2022, Health Canada approved a three-year exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act decriminalizing possession of certain illegal substances for personal use among adults in the province of British Columbia. The exemption explicitly includes a cumulative threshold of 2.5 g of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. Threshold quantities are commonly included in decriminalization policies and justified within law enforcement systems to delineate personal use among people who use drugs versus drug dealers who are carrying for trafficking purposes. Understanding the impact of the 2.5g threshold can help define the extent to which people who use drugs will be decriminalized.
methodsFrom June-October 2022, 45 people who use drugs from British Columbia were interviewed to gain an understanding of their perceptions on decriminalization, particularly on the proposed threshold of 2.5 g. We conduced descriptive thematic analyses to synthesize common interview responses.
resultsResults are displayed under two categories: 1) Implications for substance use profiles and purchasing patterns, including implications on the cumulative nature of the threshold and impacts on bulk purchasing, and 2) Implications of police enforcement, including distrust of police use of discretion, potential for net widening and jurisdictional discrepancies in enforcing the threshold. Results illustrate the need for the decriminalization policy to consider diversity in consumption patterns and frequency of use among people who use drugs, the inclination to purchase larger quantities of substances for reduced costs and to guarantee a safe and available supply, and the role police will play in delineating between possession for personal use or trafficking purposes.
conclusionsThe findings underscore the importance of monitoring the impact of the threshold on people who use drugs and whether it is countering the goals of the policy. Consultations with people who use drugs can help policymakers understand the challenges they may face when trying to abide by this threshold.
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