Decriminalization

January 15, 2026

The BC Government has announced the end of the decriminalization pilot on January 31, 2026. As of February 1, 2026, possession of any amount of illicit substances in any place that does not have a specific exemption will be illegal.

The BC Government has announced the end of the decriminalization pilot on January 31, 2026. As of February 1, 2026, possession of any amount of illicit substances in any place that does not have a specific exemption will be illegal. Where will possession be allowed?

Supervised consumption, overdose prevention, and drug checking services provide harm reduction supports such as witnessed consumption, drug poisoning response, and confirming the contents of substances. Policies supporting these services are separate from the decriminalization exemption. These services were in place before the decriminalization pilot and their legal status has not changed with the end of the exemption. 

What if someone is in possession of illicit substances outside of these places?

Possession of controlled substances after January 31, 2026, could result in arrests, charges, seizures, and convictions.  

However, law enforcement officials have discretion to prioritize non-criminalizing approaches to substance use when public safety is not impacted. This might include providing public health information, voluntary referrals, or other supportive approaches.

What other legal protections are in place for people who use drugs?

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act is intended to support people who call for emergency health services in the event of a drug poisoning (overdose) to do so without fear of criminalization. It provides legal protections to anybody at the scene of a drug poisoning event from arrests and charges for possession of controlled substances for personal use. It also protects individuals from breach of probation or parole relating to possession for personal use.