Provincial health minister Josie Osborne (right) announces the end of a three-year pilot project linked to decriminalization of small amounts of drug possession. (Image Credit: Government of B.C.)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

not renewed

Province cancels controversial drug criminalization pilot project

Jan 14, 2026 | 4:00 PM

VICTORIA — A three-year pilot project on drug decriminalization, which was designed to streamline access to needed supports, will not continue.

Provincial health minister, and Mid-Island Pacific Rim MLA, Josie Osborne announced on Wednesday, Jan. 14 the province will not seek a renewal from Health Canada on a 2023 exemption to the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The program, which removed criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of illegal substances, has not progressed as the province would have liked.

“Our intention was clear, to make it easier for people who are struggling with addiction to come forward and seek help,” Osborne said on the program. “From the beginning, this pilot was designed as a time-limited trial with ongoing monitoring built in so we could understand what was working, what wasn’t and where changes were needed.”

She said the drug toxicity crisis, which has shown signs of improvement in the last two years, continues to take a devastating toll on communities across B.C.

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Deaths linked to toxic drugs have shown a steady decline in Nanaimo and across B.C., however rates of social disorder continue, with a considerable portion fuelled by mental health and addiction challenges.

Osborne said they will continue to help people battling addiction.

“Our priority has always been, and it continues to be, making it easier for people who are struggling with addiction to get the help they need, where and when they need it, because we believe strongly that addiction is a health issue, not a criminal justice issue.”

As the drug decriminalization program lapses at the end of the month, the province will turn focus to another pilot project, which has run since 2023 out of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.

The “innovative model”, according to Osborne, connects people to a full range of care options through a single phone call.

Dubbed ‘Access Central’, Osborne said it’s an option for those ready to make a change.

“When someone is ready to seek support, they can call Access Central and receive an assessment by phone within 24 hours, or be referred to a clinic for an in-person assessment. From there, Access Central helps connect people to a range of services, and that includes inpatient detox beds, medical withdrawal management and stabilization and Opioid Agonist Therapy where it’s appropriate.”

Calls can be made from within Island Health to 1-888-885-8824, with complete information available online at https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/.

Since launching in Vancouver three years ago, over 34,000 calls have been received with more than 9,200 clients assessed.

The ending of the drug decriminalization program answers long-standing calls by local advocates, including the Nanaimo Area Public Safety Association.

Statements from the organization labelled the program a “failure”, but it’s one element to the province’s drug, mental health and addictions response which needs a closer look.

“The government still has much work to do with its Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS), which are causing havoc to most of the B.C. cities and neighbourhoods where they are located. Mental health issues and crime spills out from OPS sites and into the adjoining neighbourhoods and businesses, causing chaos, mainly from individuals who need detox and real care.”

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