The Pilot Program That Didn’t Work (And the Damage Left Behind)

In 2023 we launched a pilot program to decriminalized people who use drugs our intention was clear to make it easier for people who are struggling with addiction to come forward and seek help 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. However, the pilot hasn't delivered the results that we hoped for and after very careful consideration, we are not asking the federal government to renew the exemption we continue our work we continue this work of adding treatment and recovery beds, continuing to expand the intervention and supports.