Health Canada isn’t the only group concerned about a company it allowed to possess and distribute cocaine, as BC Premier David Eby today said he “was disturbed” by the development.
Eby was speaking during a conference for a Metro Vancouver infrastructure announcement.
During the question-and-answer portion of the conference, he was asked many questions by reporters about Langley-based Adastra, which recently received federal approval to possess, produce, distribute and sell cocaine.
The premier suggested that the BC government wasn’t at all notified by Health Canada about the development.
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“I think that Health Canada needs to have a serious look at what they’re doing. I think they have to have a serious look at this company and the license they’ve issued to a company that would issue an irresponsible press release like this,” Eby remarked.
He said he was disturbed that the company “misrepresented the nature of the licence” it was given.
In a press release, Adastra said it was evaluating “how the commercialization of this substance fits in with our business model at Adastra in an effort to position ourselves to support the demand for a safe supply of cocaine.”
Eby reflected that this development came at a time when the province was investing billions of dollars into solving the drug crisis in the province. He added that BC had raised the issue with the federal government.
Yesterday, BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth also addressed the development.
“We do not support the legalization of cocaine for commercial distribution,” Farnworth said.
In a statement to Daily Hive, Health Canada suggested it would reach out to the companies involved to “reiterate the very narrow parameters of their licence.”
Health Canada added that these companies could not sell to the general public.