5.0 Introduction
Chapter Introduction
This chapter explores contemporary Canadian laws and policies governing drug control, from the 1960s until today, as well as the implications of such policies. It also outlines the various commissions, committees and task forces that have been enacted to conduct research and make recommendations regarding Canadian drug policy. As explored in the chapter on Early Canadian Drug Policies, morality and prohibition continue to impact constructions of psychoactive drugs, people who use substances (PWUS), and drug policy. The materials in this chapter, however, detail changing perspectives surrounding drugs that emerge from the growing reliance on research and scientific evidence, that began with the work of the Le Dain Commission in the late 1960s. The application of research and knowledge help us to restructure our understandings of psychoactive drugs, drug use, and PWUS, using an evidence-based model, as opposed to one based on morality. Increasingly, researchers, scholars and people working in public health recognize the need to: (1) develop public policy that is rooted in public health and harm reduction; and (2) treat PWUS and people who experience substance use disorders (SUDs) with compassion instead of stigma.
Chapter Objectives/Learning Outcomes
After completing the chapter materials, you should have an understanding of:
- The history of Canadian attitudes towards drugs, the people who use them, and how we control drug use (1960s to present).
- Canadian criminal laws and strategies pertaining to illegal substances, their use and trade (1960s to present).
- Government commissions/committees/task forces struck between the 1960s to present to collect scientific data and make drug policy recommendations.
- The impact of Canadian criminalization policy in practice.
Questions to Think About When Completing Chapter Materials
- Numerous researchers have described the consequences associated with the Safe Streets and Communities Act (SSCA), alternately known as Bill C-10, passed by the Canadian Parliament on March 12, 2012. What does Bill C-10 consist of, and what are some examples of its consequences and harms?
- Using the knowledge base in this chapter (and other chapters previously covered in the course), how would you explain the need for Canada to shift from a system of criminalization/prohibitionist drug policy to one rooted in evidence and research?
- What are the objectives of Bill C-22, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act? If this Bill were enacted, in what ways could it help combat the costs and consequences produced from previous and current Canadian drug policy?
- What are the 4 pillars of the Canadian Drug Strategy (2016)? What is the purpose of each? In what ways can they be modified to better address the existing critiques of contemporary drug policy in Canada?
- Identify a contemporary example of the racist nature and/or impact of Canadian drug policy in action.
A commission is a group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something (Merriam-Webster, 2021a).
A committee is a body of persons delegated to consider, investigate, act on, or report on some matter. Specifically: a group of legislators chosen by a legislative body to consider legislative matters (Merriam-Webster, 2021b).
A task force or action committee (also sometimes called an ad hoc committee) is a group assembled to address a specific problem or accomplish a specific goal (Community Toolbox, n.d.).
A policy is a law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of governments and other institutions (CDC, n.d.).
