Advocacy Group Founders Charged with Drug Trafficking in Vancouver

Two founders of the Drug User Liberation Front (DUFL), which sold cocaine, crystal meth, and heroin in defiance of Canada’s federal government, have been charged with trafficking-related crimes in Vancouver, British Columbia.

On May 31, police in Vancouver approved charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking against 28-year-old Jeremy Kalicum and 33-year-old Eris Nyx, co-founders of the Drug User Liberation Front. Kalicum and Nyx were arrested in October but were only charged lately.

They are scheduled to appear in court on July 2.

In 2022, Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) made news when the volunteer-led organization stated that it will provide pure cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin to addicts as part of a “compassion club” to prevent overdose deaths.

“If you label people’s drugs so that they clearly indicate what a person is putting into their body, people will not overdose,” Nyx told the Guardian at the time. “No one takes more than they intend to take.”

Store on Vancouver’s east-side

The group sought an exemption from Canada’s Controlled pharmaceuticals and Substances Act, allowing them to purchase and distribute pharmaceuticals. With few legal choices for purchasing pharmaceutical-grade opioids, the two informed Canada’s public health ministry that they would have to obtain the medicines on the dark web.

However, this revelation prompted Health Canada to reject their proposal.

Despite the court loss, the activists continued to sell pure drugs at cost price from their store on Vancouver’s downtown east side, in open defiance of the law. Nyx and Kalicum were eventually detained in October during a police raid.

The pair challenged Health Canada’s decision not to approve the exemption in March, arguing that it leaves people who use drugs “fully and directly exposed” to the toxicity crisis and violates two clauses of Canada’s charter of rights and freedoms: the right to life and the right to equal protection under the law.

They also cited data showing that their strategy reduced non-fatal overdoses by 49%. Non-fatal overdoses requiring naloxone, indicating the presence of fentanyl, decreased 63%.

“We are surprised the crown made this decision before the federal court decides whether Health Canada’s denial of an exemption for the compassion club was constitutional,” a statement from DULF lawyers said.

“If the crown is serious about pursuing these charges, our clients will challenge the constitutionality of prohibiting a life-saving safer supply program in light of this devastating toxic drug crisis.”

Drug Overdoses Surge

The fight over drug sales comes as Canada’s westernmost province is grappling with a historic public health catastrophe that has ripped families apart and killed about 14,000 people as a result of toxic, unregulated opioids.

Last year was the worst on record, with officials in British Columbia reporting 2,539 suspected overdoses, the vast majority of which involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogues. Experts warn that reducing drug-related deaths will require tackling an increasingly contaminated drug supply.

Last year, British Columbia launched a highly watched pilot experiment to decriminalize, but not legalize, the possession of small amounts of illicit narcotics.

Politicians have recently used British Columbia’s drug decriminalization experiment as a political wedge issue, with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre referring to Vancouver’s downtown east side as “hell on earth”.

In April, British Columbia reversed key aspects of its drug decriminalization initiatives in the face of growing public opposition.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stephen Ellis, Conservative Shadow Minister for Health, and Laila Goodridge, Conservative Shadow Minister for Addictions, have issued the following statement:

“The Trudeau-NDP approach to drug policy is a complete failure. Nowhere is this more apparent than in British Columbia, where Trudeau and his NDP allies have allowed taxpayer-funded hazardous drugs and drug decriminalization to claim thousands of lives.

“The Trudeau Liberals have flooded the streets with toxic opioids, ignoring all evidence that this has destroyed the lives of countless Canadians and wrecked multiple towns.

“We are profoundly concerned about Canada’s current direction, and we fear for the safety of our communities and the future of our country, as its government openly promotes the use of harmful narcotics by vulnerable Canadians, particularly children.

“Common sense Conservatives will prioritize treatment and recovery over taxpayer-funded dangerous drugs.” We will restore hope to our most vulnerable citizens. Recovery from addiction is possible.”

Source: Guardian, CPP