Quebec Government Quietly Loosened Its Approach to Drug Possession Over a Year Ago

The Quebec government has quietly relaxed its approach to people caught with small quantities of illegal drugs, following a federal law intended to divert drug users from the criminal justice system. In April 2023, the province published a guideline recommending that cases of simple drug possession should only be prosecuted when there is a public safety risk. In response, Quebec’s director of prosecutions issued a new directive detailing that drug possession could be a threat to public safety in the context of organized crime, violence or when minors are present. At the time, however, Premier François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec government made no public announcement of the change. The notice, which was published in the province’s official gazette, was reported for the first time this week by Le Devoir....