4.5 Status of Canadian Drug Policy Today
Policy Change Under Consideration
- Bill C-236, an Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (evidence-based diversion measures) (2020), would amend the CDSA to “require peace officers to consider measures other than judicial proceedings to deal with individuals alleged to have been in possession of certain substances. It also sets out principles to be taken into account in the determination of the most appropriate measures to take” (Canada, 2021).
- Bill C-22, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drug and Substances (2021), is still under review by the Canadian Parliament. The basis of this Bill is to fulfill the Government of Canada’s commitment to address systemic inequities, including the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples, Black, and marginalized Canadians, in the criminal justice system (Canada, 2021).
Click the link to learn more about Bill C-22:
definition
A proposed statute that is before the Legislative Assembly for consideration. A Bill becomes a statute when it is passed by the Legislative Assembly after its third reading and receives Royal Assent (Ontario, n.d.).
