(Victoria) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “shocked,” as was the premier of British Columbia, that a company is boasting about changes to its Health Canada license that would allow it to produce and sell cocaine.
Trudeau said Friday the federal government was talking to Adastra Labs, of Langley, B.C., to change the wording of its press releases to avoid any misunderstandings in the future.
The company said on Thursday it was looking for ways to incorporate cocaine into its business plan. Mr. Trudeau assured that there was no question of allowing companies to sell these drugs on the market.
Another British Columbia company also recently claimed that it is now licensed to produce, sell and distribute cocaine and ecstasy, although Health Canada says it cannot sell these illegal drugs to the general public. audience.
Victoria’s Sunshine Earth Labs, a bioscience company that “aims to bring a safer supply of drugs to the global marketplace”, says it last year obtained an amendment to its distributor’s license relating to “drugs and controlled substances” to include ecstasy and cocaine.
In a written statement, the federal Department of Health says it is “carefully reviewing applications” to ensure licensees adhere to all existing public health and safety policies.
Health Canada says Adastra Labs’ license was issued “solely for scientific and medical purposes,” and that licensees can only sell these substances to people who are authorized to possess them.
“Health Canada has contacted the company to reiterate the very narrow parameters of its license,” the department said. If the strict requirements are not met, Health Canada will not hesitate to take action, which may include revoking the license. »
The controversy erupted after Adastra Labs announced on February 17 that Health Canada had agreed to amend its license to produce, sell and distribute cocaine.
It is true that Health Canada allows certain pharmaceutical companies, for extremely limited research and medical needs, to use this product. But there is no intention, there is no permission to sell this on the market and share this with Canadians.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
“It was a lack of understanding, I think, in the press release [de la compagnie] and we are in the process of correcting the situation on this because it is not something that we endorse as a country. »
British Columbia Premier David Eby said Thursday that he was “stunned” by the news. He then indicated that his government had not been notified or consulted by Health Canada.
Mr Eby assured that this license “was not part of our provincial plan”, referring to the government’s current efforts to stem the death rate from overdoses – an average of six people died from it every day in British Columbia in 2022 .
British Columbia’s drug decriminalization policy, which came into effect in late January, allows people 18 and older to possess up to 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy without being prosecuted to the criminal.