Bonnie Henry calls B.C. decriminalization rollback 'disappointing', blames politics
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has broken from cabinet messaging to call the B.C. government's rollback of drug decriminalization "disappointing," saying the decision was shaped by political pressure rather than evidence. Henry delivered the rare public rebuke on April 13 as the province marked the 10th anniversary of its declared toxic drug emergency.
Her intervention puts the province's most senior public health voice at odds with Health Minister Josie Osborne, who announced in January that B.C. would not seek renewal of its federal exemption. The pilot program officially ended January 31, 2026, restoring criminal penalties for personal possession of illicit drugs.
A rare public rebuke from the top doctor
Henry told reporters she "absolutely" believes political pressure drove the reversal, pointing to what she described as "very stigmatizing" language from federal and provincial politicians during the debate. That rhetoric, she said, eroded years of work aimed at reducing shame and encouraging people to seek help.
"It is disappointing. The stigmatizing language we've heard from political leaders has set us back," Henry said.
Henry's comments carry institutional weight. The provincial health officer is a statutory role created to give independent medical advice to government, and public disagreement with a sitting cabinet over a signature file is uncommon.
What the pilot actually did
Under the three-year federal exemption, adults in B.C. could possess up to 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine or MDMA for personal use without facing criminal charges. Police were instead directed to offer information about treatment and harm-reduction services.
The program was never intended to legalize drugs or address supply. It aimed to reduce the criminalization of users and open pathways to care. Critics argued it coincided with visible public drug use in parks and transit hubs, pressure that intensified after a series of high-profile incidents in 2024 and 2025.
The government's reasoning
Osborne said in January that the province would not pursue renewal because the pilot had not delivered hoped-for results, and because public concerns about disorder had to be weighed alongside health outcomes. The government has since expanded involuntary care provisions and shifted funding toward treatment beds.
Researchers remain divided. Some studies tracked modest declines in possession arrests without clear shifts in overdose mortality, which continued to climb through 2024 before easing slightly in 2025. Supporters of decriminalization argue the pilot was too short and too narrow to produce definitive evidence either way, a point Henry echoed in her remarks to reporters.
Context
British Columbia has recorded roughly 18,000 deaths from toxic illicit drugs since declaring a public health emergency in 2016. The province remains the epicentre of Canada's overdose crisis, with Indigenous residents dying at disproportionately high rates.
Henry said she will continue pressing for evidence-based responses, including expanded access to regulated alternatives to the poisoned street supply. Osborne's office declined to respond directly to Henry's critique but reiterated the government's focus on treatment and recovery. For residents across British Columbia, the public split between top doctor and top minister raises sharp questions about how drug policy will evolve heading into the next election cycle.
