Ruling comes only weeks after the province’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act exception, which decriminalized personal possession of up to 2.5 grams of opiates, cocaine, methamphetamine, or MDMA, entered into effect.
According to Post Millennial, Health Canada has authorized a cannabis company in British Columbia to process and sell cocaine. On February 17, Adastra Laboratories, situated in Langley, gained approval from federal authorities.
Yahoo Finance reports that Adastra Laboratories acquired its Controlled Drug and Substances Dealer’s License on August 24, 2022, allowing it to lawfully produce and sell controlled substances such as psilocybin.
By virtue of the new authorization issued by Health Canada, the business is now permitted to handle 250 grams of cocaine. Also, it is permitted to import coca leaves for local production and synthesis.
Michael Forbes, CEO of Adastra Laboratories and founder of the Forbes Group, has a long background in the sector. Although his company specialized in cannabis, he has years of expertise working as a pharmacist at the forefront of addiction medicine.
Forbes has been a supporter of harm reduction, the concept that drug users should have access to a safe supply of their drug of choice while awaiting treatment. In 2010, he piloted, at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a needle exchange program.
Forbes stated, “Harm reduction is a critically essential and mainstream topic, and we remain at the forefront of all drug laws.” “In December 2022, we vigorously pursued the revision of our Dealer’s License to include cocaine. We will analyze how the commercialization of this substance aligns with Adastra’s business strategy in an effort to meet the need for a safe supply of cocaine.”
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Many oppose the notion that putting more pharmaceuticals into the system will help to resolve the situation, arguing that it will just exacerbate existing problems.
