Poilievre accuses Trudeau of wanting to legalize hard drugs

Photo: Sean Kilpatrick The Canadian Press Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (right) during question period in the House of Commons on May 1, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre listening in the background

The Conservative leader alleges in all his forums that the Liberal government in Ottawa intends to legalize hard drugs like crack, despite evidence to the contrary, while Quebec Public Health is making an announcement warn against this kind of shortcut.

According to an Instagram post from Pierre Poilievre from Monday, Justin Trudeau's Liberals would propose nothing less than legalizing heroin and fentanyl from coast to coast.

“[Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau has been confirmed to have a “national decriminalization” plan. This means that Trudeau wants to legalize hard drugs like crack, methamphetamine and fentanyl, across the country,” reads a statement from the Conservative Party of Canada released shortly after.

As proof, a federal document shared by the leader on the X network specifies that the government intends to collaborate with the provinces which opt for drug decriminalization approaches. The text does not mention the concept of legalization.

BREAKING: Secret documents show that the NDP-Liberal government has a hidden plan for "national decriminalization."

If they are re-elected, expect crack, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in a schoolyard near you. https://t.co/mUaB0UwBm7 pic.twitter.com/sE7Cb9a68p

— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) July 22, 2024

The content of this note should not surprise Pierre Poilievre, since this is essentially what Justin Trudeau answered in the House on May 1 when questioned about the request for decriminalization made by the mayor from Montreal, Valérie Plante.

The Prime Minister defended British Columbia's drug decriminalization pilot project, adding: “If ever there are provinces that want to do something [similar], we will look at their project. »

This exchange was also very well attended, since it was the first held for the reintegration into the Commons of the Conservative leader, who had been excluded the day before by the president for having called Justin Trudeau “crazy” because of his approach in matters of drugs.

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Decriminalization, not legalization

Pierre Poilievre is hot on his heels government about its approach to drugs since the spring. In doing so, he indiscriminately uses the term “legalization” to talk about decriminalization projects. “It’s essentially the same thing,” he said during an exchange in the House on May 8.

Experts say exactly the opposite. “Decriminalization and legalization are not the same thing,” underlines Jean-Sébastien Fallu, associate professor at the School of Psychoeducation at the University of Montreal and expert on the issue. “Legalization provides a legal framework that specifies the rules. […] Under legalization, there are generally quality controls and consumption is permitted rather than tolerated,” he explains.

For example, Cannabis has been legalized in Canada, not simply decriminalized. This is the reason why the product, regulated, has been sold in the stores of the Société québécoise du cannabis since 2018. Nothing of the sort is planned for crack, fentanyl or other hard drugs.

The National Institute of Public Health of Quebec produced a five-page summary in February precisely to end the confusion between legalization and decriminalization. Mixing these concepts “has the consequence of limiting the understanding of their respective legal issues and their potential repercussions for people who use drugs and the population, particularly in terms of health,” warns the Institute.

Informed of this analysis, the Conservative Party did not change its interpretation, writing in Devoir that “consumption and possession “hard drugs such as crack, methamphetamine and fentanyl would be legalized” by the Liberals.

“There is no such plan”, denies the office of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, the Liberal Ya'ara Saks.

Confusion nevertheless seems to persist among the public. With Quebec's decision to discreetly divert simple drug possession, revealed by Le Devoirin July, drug users and even addiction workers are mixing up what is and isn’t allowed, says a harm reduction organization in Gatineau.

“We sometimes have to remind our workers that just because the police aren’t arresting anyone anymore doesn’t mean it’s legal,” says Yves Séguin, who heads the Centre d’intervention et de prévention en dépendance de l’Outaouais.

It’s hard to understand why the overdose crisis has worsened in British Columbia if you don’t understand what the province’s decriminalization is all about, he says. “Just because you’re not getting arrested with your dope doesn’t mean your dope isn’t contaminated with fentanyl or something else.”

British Columbia decided in 2023 to stop arresting people who transport or use small quantities of drugs to keep them away from the criminal justice system. The province, however, adjusted its position in the spring by once again criminalizing consumption in public places.

By opting for diversion, Quebec has kept drugs illegal harsh, but asks prosecutors to avoid filing criminal charges for their simple possession for personal consumption, in certain circumstances.