Ottawa authorizes two companies to produce and sell cocaine

Within days, two companies received the green light from the Canadian federal government to produce and market cocaine. These companies are located in British Columbia, a province on the west coast of Canada engaged since the beginning of the year in a pilot process of decriminalization of drugs. However, the premier of the province says he is surprised by this approach…

Producing and selling cocaine legally

Thursday, March 2, the Canadian biotechnology company Sunshine Earth Labs announced that it had obtained a license from the federal health agency of Canada to produce and sell cocaine. According to the press release published by Sunshine Earth Labs, it can now “possess, produce, sell, and distribute coca leaf and cocaine”.

This is not a first. A few days earlier, another company, Adastra Labs, which until then had only manufactured products related to cannabis extracts, legal in Canada since 2018, had announced that it had received a similar authorization from Ottawa.

But for what purpose? How to legally import coca leaves from South America? And, above all, to whom should these prohibited drugs be offered for sale? Neither the federal government of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, nor the companies involved, nor the province of British Columbia can answer these questions.

A decriminalization test project in British Columbia

These green lights given by Health Canada come at a particular time: since the end of January, British Columbia, epicenter of a crisis which has seen the province record six overdose deaths per day in 2022 (for 5.2 million inhabitants), is engaged in a pilot decriminalization experiment. Possessing cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines or even ecstasy is now authorized, in small quantities – up to 2.5 grams.

To be able to implement this new policy, Ottawa has granted an exemption, until January 31, 2026, to the province of British Columbia, managed since 2017 by the New Democratic Party, the main formation of the Canadian left. Objective ? Address the stigma associated with drug use, which prevents some people from seeking help. “Drugs are a public health problem, not a crime,” said Sheila Malcolmson, British Columbia’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions when the exemption was announced.

In Vancouver, the province’s largest city, supervised injection rooms and vending machines dispense hydromorphone, a derivative of morphine. A dispensary, paid for by the government, also offers users fentanyl – a drug that has been wreaking havoc in recent years – safer than what they can get on the street.

Surprise from British Columbia authorities

Despite the desire of British Columbia authorities to change their approach to drugs, in cooperation with the federal government, the announcements concerning cocaine surprised even the services of David Eby, the province’s premier.

At a press conference on Thursday, on the funding of overdose prevention and mental health, the latter said he was “surprised”. “Producing and selling cocaine is not part of our provincial plan,” he said, adding that the province would contact Health Canada to get answers to his questions.

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