Ep 3 Drug Laws

Karen and Alex welcome special guest Brittany Stockley (advocate for mental health and addiction treatment, who has been in active recovery/sobriety for 9+ years) to discuss how the laws surrounding drugs and controlled substances have evolved over time, and how those laws affect Canadians. You can find her on her socials @heartwoodandhomestudio

Send your suggestions for future episode topics to:

bitranscanadahighway@gmail.com

Cases Discussed:

Rob Ford’s drug use while in Office: Ontario, 2014| Thomas Hartle’s Denial to Continue Psilocin Trial by Health Canada: Saskatchewan, 2021| Summerside Meth Lab: PEI, 2016 | Toronto Drug Cop Charged with Drug Crimes: Ontario, 2024 | Project Lowkey: Alberta, 2024 | Charged Laid for Noncontrolled Substance Possession: Alberta, 2022

We finish the episode with Brittany telling us about her own journey through addiction, sobriety and her experiences with the legal system.

 

Sources:

• Controlled Drugs and Substances Act https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8/page-9.html

• The National Drug Schedules (NDS) https://www.napra.ca/national-drug-schedules/what-are-the-national-drug-schedules/

• Understanding Schedule 1 Drugs in Canada https://karapancevlaw.ca/understanding-schedule-1-drugs-in-canada-a-comprehensive-guide/

• Controlled substances and precursor chemicals           https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-concerns/controlled-substances-precursor-chemicals.html

• About PPSC                              https://www.ppsc-sppc.gc.ca/eng/bas/index.html?wbdisable=true#:~:text=The%20PPSC%20is%20responsible%20for,in%20Quebec%20and%20New%20Brunswick

• US DEA https://www.dea.gov/

• Cannabis Legalization and Regulation https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cannabis/

• Stats Canada https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231016/dq231016c-eng.htm

• CBC  https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cannabis-5-year-1.6989993
• Cannabis in Canada Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Canada
• Legal History if Cannabis in Canada Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_history_of_cannabis_in_Canada
• Fentanyl smuggling is not a major crisis at Canada-US border, despite Trump's claims https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/02/11/fentanyl-smuggling-is-not-a-major-crisis-at-canada-us-border-despite-trump-s-claims_6738032_4.html#:~:text=Canada-,Fentanyl%20smuggling%20is%20not%20a%20major%20crisis%20at%20Canada%2DUS,major%20source%20of%20the%20drug
• How fentanyl has poisoned relations between the US and Canada https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/negative-side-effects-how-fentanyl-has-poisoned-relations-between-the-us-and-canada/

• The opioid crisis in Canada: a national perspective

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6034966/

• Opioids in Canada https://www.cihi.ca/en/opioids-in-canada

• Creation of Dashboard Tracking Province’s Overdose Deaths https://vocm.com/2025/03/31/officials-working-on-creation-of-dashboard-tracking-provinces-overdose-deaths/

• Drugs found hidden in baby's diaper as meth lab uncovered in Summerside https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/updated-drugs-found-hidden-in-babys-diaper-as-meth-lab-uncovered-in-summerside-56979

• Footage of late Toronto mayor Rob Ford smoking crack released https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/11/rob-ford-crack-video-release

• Rob Ford: I've used nearly all drugs, says Toronto mayor https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28138521

• Addiction Success Stories w/guest, Brittany Stockley https://www.facebook.com/hardknoxtalkspodcast/videos/addiction-success-stories-wguest-brittany-stockley/5105231862908717/

• Legal Weed Pardons https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pot-pardons-still-low-484-1.6230666#:~:text=It's%20been%20more%20than%20two,been%20granted%20one%20so%20far.

• 3 years after weed legalization, Ontario man still can't enter U.S. due to 20-year-old pot charge https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/weed-legalization-ontario-pardons-1.6212435

• The Canadian drugs and substances strategy: The Government of Canada’s approach to substance use related harms and the overdose crisis                           https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-drugs-substances-strategy-approach-related-harms-overdose-crisis.html
• Harm Reduction                   https://drugpolicy.ca/our-work/issues/harm-reduction/#:~:text=Harm%20Reduction%20is%20a%20philosophical,dated%20laws%2C%20systems%20and%20institutions.

• Toronto drug squad cop facing 7 charges after arrest in Peel https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-drug-cop-arrest-peel-cocaine-meth-impaired-driving-1.7254034

• 9 arrested, more than $700K in drugs seized after interprovincial trafficking investigation: Winnipeg police https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-police-project-lowkey-drug-trafficking-investigation-1.7481399

• R. v. Tim                                      https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/19299/index.do

• Highly Potent Drug Linked to Sudden Death on Avalon Prompts Warning from RNC https://vocm.com/2025/04/04/highly-potent-drug-linked-to-sudden-death-on-avalon-prompts-warning-from-rnc/

• Shroom Boom CBC https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/magic-mushroom-medicine

• Magic mushroom dispensaries operating openly in Vancouver https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/magic-mushroom-dispensaries-in-vancouver-1.6385792

• Health Canada denies terminally ill Sask. man permission to continue magic mushroom therapy https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/health-canada-denies-terminally-ill-sask-man-permission-to-continue-magic-mushroom-therapy-1.6765386

• Psychedelics see increased legalization and decriminalization globally as treatment usages expand. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240320-legal-status-of-psychedelics-around-the-world

• Cannabis crime statistics in Canada, 2020 https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/jf-pf/2022/jun.html#:~:text=In%202017%20

• Thomas Hartle Obituary https://www.saskatoonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/thomas-hartle

• Summerside man sentenced to 42 months for meth production https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-methamphetamine-production-sentence-1.3920593

• About the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/opioids/about-good-samaritan-drug-overdose-act.html

• Toronto police drug squad officer charged with impaired driving, drug possession https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/07/04/toronto-police-officer-arrested-impaired-drug-possession-charges/