The issue was raised at this week’s ZOOM Council meeting on Tuesday night.
Mayor Bob Simpson, the Chair of Public Safety and Policing Committee, said he believes Council is going to be asked to weigh in on the topic in the New Year.
For his part, Simpson said at the end of the day he doesn’t feel that it addresses any of the systemic issues related to the drugs…
“As long as the drugs have to be obtained through criminal means that still deals with our public safety issues and crime under $5,000, and also it doesn’t address the fact that these street drugs are poisoned, and that it’s the fentanyl in those street drugs that’s killing people.”
Simpson said for now the topic is just on Council’s watch list.
He said a detailed report will be coming to Council if they get a request to weigh in on it.
Simpson said it is something they expect to happen though, as Councillors in Vancouver have now voted unanimously to ask the Federal Government to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs.