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Drug Trafficking Challenge: Law 'Kills Users'
24 Nov
Summary
- Founders challenge law prohibiting drug possession for trafficking.
- DULF argues criminalization fuels deadly unregulated drug supply.
- Law claimed to perpetuate discrimination against substance users.
A constitutional challenge against drug trafficking laws is set to commence at the B.C. Supreme Court, initiated by the founders of a Vancouver "compassion club." Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx, recently convicted of possessing cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine for trafficking, are now contesting the legality of the relevant section of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
The founders argue that the prohibition on drug possession for trafficking is unconstitutional and actively harms the population it intends to protect. Their legal strategy asserts that by criminalizing alternatives to the unregulated drug market, the law compels individuals to use lethal street drugs, thereby escalating the risks and mortality rates.
Furthermore, the challenge aims to highlight how the law perpetuates discrimination against individuals with disabilities, including those with substance-use disorders. This legal battle unfolds against the backdrop of the ongoing toxic drug crisis in British Columbia, where hundreds die from overdoses monthly.
