Minister Lionel Carmant was pressed to decriminalize simple possession of drugs on Tuesday as part of consultations on his Bill 36 to recover money linked to the opioid crisis.
The request was made by the Association of Dependency Workers of Quebec (AIDQ) to the National Assembly. According to the organization, this is an “essential measure to reduce stigma and facilitate access to health care and social services” for consumers.
Lionel Carmant questioned the AIDQ about this proposal, but did not seem keen on the idea. When the bill was tabled three weeks ago, the minister said that his government was not there yet.
The objective of this bill is for Quebec to join the request for class action brought by British Columbia against more than 40 pharmaceutical companies which are accused of having trivialized the harmful effects of opioids.
In 2018, British Columbia filed a class action request against 40 pharmaceutical companies on behalf of the federal government, provinces and territories. Among the companies targeted are Jean Coutu, Johnson & Johnson and Loblaw.
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