As Canada continues to battle an opioid epidemic, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is calling on federal lawmakers to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illegal drugs for personal consumption. CACP's president, Chief Constable Adam Palmer, said it's time to rethink how police and governments approach the use and abuse of illegal drugs in order to save lives. "Arresting individuals for simple possession of illicit drugs has proven to be ineffective. "We recommend that Canada's enforcement-based approach for possession be replaced with a health care approach that diverts people from the criminal justice system." Palmer said such a shift in policing would require changes at the federal level to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Source: CBC News July 09, 2020 18:19 UTC