Drugs

Dr. Andrew Bui-Nguyen poses in the treatment room of one the two clinical sites in Montreal, Sunday, May 15, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes.

First patient in Quebec gets approval from Health Canada for magic mushroom therapy

Clinic to become first health-care facility in Quebec to legally treat depression with psilocybin

 

Gord Johns

POLL: Do you support MP Gord Johns’ bill on drug decriminalization?

Johns calls for reforms in face of opioid overdose crisis

 

In this Aug. 3, 2007, file photo, magic mushrooms are seen in a grow room at the Procare farm in Hazerswoude, central Netherlands. The Supreme Court of Canada has restored the acquittal of a Calgary man who attacked a woman while he was high on magic mushrooms. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Peter Dejong

UPDATED: Law barring use of extreme intoxication as criminal defence ruled unconstitutional

Supreme Court restores man’s acquittal for magic mushroom-fuelled attack

 

Moms Stop the Harm advocates and supporters gather at Centennial Square on the sixth anniversary to mark the public health emergency of the declaration due to the significant increase in opioid-related overdose across the province during the Cut The Red Tape theme in Victoria, Thursday, April 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Pandemic impacted quality of illicit drugs and ‘contaminants’ in B.C., new study shows

A new study surveyed 738 people who use drugs and found 272 people reported worsening drug quality

Moms Stop the Harm advocates and supporters gather at Centennial Square on the sixth anniversary to mark the public health emergency of the declaration due to the significant increase in opioid-related overdose across the province during the Cut The Red Tape theme in Victoria, Thursday, April 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Packages of drugs and cash, money counters, body armour and skull-like face masks displayed across the floor (BC RCMP photo)

B.C. RCMP work with FBI to seize drugs, gold, cash from homes in Vancouver and Victoria

Search warrants carried out between Sept. and Dec. 2021

Packages of drugs and cash, money counters, body armour and skull-like face masks displayed across the floor (BC RCMP photo)
Curtis Traverse, right, comforts his girlfriend Hope as they listen to speeches in memory of those who died from a suspected illicit drug overdose, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. The B.C. Coroners Service announced that 2,224 people died from a suspected illicit drug overdose in 2021. The Drug User Liberation Front (DULF), Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) and B.C. Association of People on Opiate Maintenance distributed a tested supply of illicit drugs to users after the gathering in a call for a safer drug supply. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C advocates push back as Health Canada mulls lower-than-requested legal drug possession

Advocates say 2.5 gram threshold being considered isn’t evidenced based

Curtis Traverse, right, comforts his girlfriend Hope as they listen to speeches in memory of those who died from a suspected illicit drug overdose, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. The B.C. Coroners Service announced that 2,224 people died from a suspected illicit drug overdose in 2021. The Drug User Liberation Front (DULF), Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) and B.C. Association of People on Opiate Maintenance distributed a tested supply of illicit drugs to users after the gathering in a call for a safer drug supply. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A homeless person uses a portable propane heater to try and stay warm under umbrellas and tarps as rain falls in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, on Sunday, December 13, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Drug users in Vancouver respond to targeted effort to ramp up vaccination rate

‘If you actually make the effort and you put in resources properly, you can do it’

A homeless person uses a portable propane heater to try and stay warm under umbrellas and tarps as rain falls in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, on Sunday, December 13, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Sheila Malcolmson speaks at a press conference in the press gallery at the Legislature in Victoria, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. B.C.’s mental health and addictions minister said Health Canada is thinking about lowering the threshold for the province’s decriminalization request. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Health Canada mulls lower threshold for drug decriminalization: B.C. minister

Federal government is mulling a 2.5-gram cumulative threshold

Sheila Malcolmson speaks at a press conference in the press gallery at the Legislature in Victoria, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. B.C.’s mental health and addictions minister said Health Canada is thinking about lowering the threshold for the province’s decriminalization request. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
A naloxone kit. Island Health is targetting middle-aged men with a new information campaign to limit untested, isolated overdose. (Black Press file photo)

Island Health targets male drug users; disproportionate group of 2019 overdose deaths

The four-week information campaign aims to curb isolated and untested drug use

A naloxone kit. Island Health is targetting middle-aged men with a new information campaign to limit untested, isolated overdose. (Black Press file photo)
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson speaks during a press conference in the press gallery at the Legislature in Victoria, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. In the absence of a national policy on personal drug possession, some Canadian jurisdictions have submitted requests for exemptions from criminal penalties for those who carry small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Jurisdictions looking to decriminalize small amounts of drugs to curb overdose deaths

Canadian cities, provinces say decriminalization would help reduce stigma associated with drug use

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson speaks during a press conference in the press gallery at the Legislature in Victoria, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. In the absence of a national policy on personal drug possession, some Canadian jurisdictions have submitted requests for exemptions from criminal penalties for those who carry small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Researchers from UBC Okanagan identified ketamine as a tool in the fight against mental illness (UBCO)

Clinic for psychedelic therapy a 1st for Okanagan

Research out of UBCO shows promising results of Ketamine to treat mental illness

Researchers from UBC Okanagan identified ketamine as a tool in the fight against mental illness (UBCO)
Levi Manson holds a photo of his late brother, Aaron, joined by mom Troylana and dad Bart. This photo was taken in September 2021 at Prince Charles Park in downtown Kamloops. (Michael Potestio/KTW/LJI)

Family reeling after little-known drug Kratom contributes to B.C. man’s fatal overdose

Aaron Manson, 26, died after overdosing in his room in Kamloops

Levi Manson holds a photo of his late brother, Aaron, joined by mom Troylana and dad Bart. This photo was taken in September 2021 at Prince Charles Park in downtown Kamloops. (Michael Potestio/KTW/LJI)
Guns, drugs, cash and cars were among the items seized by Coquitlam RCMP in a gang-linked bust. (Coquitlam RCMP)

3 kgs fentanyl seized with other drugs, guns, luxury cars in gang-linked Coquitlam bust

Investigation had been ongoing since September 2020

Guns, drugs, cash and cars were among the items seized by Coquitlam RCMP in a gang-linked bust. (Coquitlam RCMP)
Police in Nanaimo found prohibited weapons, drugs, cash and an improvised explosive device in a vehicle stopped this past weekend for having no insuranc. (Photo submitted)

Bomb, guns, drugs found after Nanaimo RCMP pull over uninsured vehicle

Three people arrested and released as investigation continues

Police in Nanaimo found prohibited weapons, drugs, cash and an improvised explosive device in a vehicle stopped this past weekend for having no insuranc. (Photo submitted)
Methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine from a safe supply being handed out to drug users by the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, Drug User Liberation Front and Moms Stop the Harm to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, are displayed in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. British Columbia’s chief coroner says at least 1,011 people died from suspected illicit drug overdoses from January to June, the highest death toll recorded in the first six months of a calendar year during the province’s overdose crisis. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Alberta police chiefs say too soon to support drug decriminalization

Calgary chief constable says decriminalization alone wouldn’t reduce addiction or overdose rates.

Methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine from a safe supply being handed out to drug users by the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, Drug User Liberation Front and Moms Stop the Harm to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, are displayed in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. British Columbia’s chief coroner says at least 1,011 people died from suspected illicit drug overdoses from January to June, the highest death toll recorded in the first six months of a calendar year during the province’s overdose crisis. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos participates in a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic and the omicron variant, in Ottawa, on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. Duclos has put a six-month pause on new regulations designed to lower the cost of patented medicines in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Liberals delay new regulations to lower price of medicines in Canada

The regulations were supposed to come into force at the beginning of January

Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos participates in a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic and the omicron variant, in Ottawa, on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. Duclos has put a six-month pause on new regulations designed to lower the cost of patented medicines in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
A new mail-in program initiated by the University of Victoria allows Vancouver Island drug users in centres without drug-testing facilities to send in samples to be rapid-tested for toxic substances. (Photo courtesy Vancouver Island University)

Vancouver Islanders can now have opioids, other drugs lab-checked by mail

UVic-led drug checking project provides anonymous online results within a day of receiving sample

A new mail-in program initiated by the University of Victoria allows Vancouver Island drug users in centres without drug-testing facilities to send in samples to be rapid-tested for toxic substances. (Photo courtesy Vancouver Island University)
An addict uses the sign for a mobile needle exchange program to block the wind as he tries to smoke crack in an alley in Abbotsford, B.C., on July 5, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

More work to be done as Canada ranks sixth in global drug policy index: experts

Canadian Drug Policy Coalition: ‘It’s a passing grade, but (Canada) is not doing well’

An addict uses the sign for a mobile needle exchange program to block the wind as he tries to smoke crack in an alley in Abbotsford, B.C., on July 5, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
A used naloxone kit is seen on the sidewalk as paramedics from B.C. Ambulance respond to a drug overdose in downtown Vancouver, Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Over the past several years the drug overdoses not only across British Columbia but throughout Canada have but grown. On June, 23, 2021 for instance B.C. Ambulance paramedics responded to 140 overdose calls across the province with 42 of those being just in Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Illicit drug deaths hit grim record high in the first 9 months of 2021: BC Coroners Service

Coroners service said that the death rate from illicit drug overdoses has risen to 39.4 per 100,000 residents

A used naloxone kit is seen on the sidewalk as paramedics from B.C. Ambulance respond to a drug overdose in downtown Vancouver, Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Over the past several years the drug overdoses not only across British Columbia but throughout Canada have but grown. On June, 23, 2021 for instance B.C. Ambulance paramedics responded to 140 overdose calls across the province with 42 of those being just in Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, speaks about drug use during a recent speech in the legislature. (Government of British Columbia)

Vancouver Island MLA calls for an end to ‘war on drugs’ approach

Saanich North and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen plans to continue lobbying for a safe drug supply

Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, speaks about drug use during a recent speech in the legislature. (Government of British Columbia)