Vancouver drug policy advocates face trafficking related charges: police

Two founders of a Vancouver drug user advocacy group that distributed what they said were safe doses of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines to prevent overdoses have been charged with trafficking related offences as a result of police raids last year.

Vancouver police said in a statement Friday that members of the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) had spoken publicly about trafficking the substances.

Police said charges of possession for the purposes of trafficking were approved on May 31 against 28-year-old Jeremy Kalicum and 33-year-old Eris Nyx, who are DULF's co-founders.

The police statement said Kalicum and Nyx each face three charges and are scheduled to appear in court on July 2.

Police executed search warrants on DULF's Downtown Eastside offices last October, as well as two homes linked to the investigation.

At the time, the group's website said its "fulfilment centre" allowed drug users to receive up to 14 grams of cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine per week, with the substances tested for safety before sale "at cost."

At an August news conference, Nyx said the group had distributed 201 doses in its first month of operation, and would continue distribution despite failing to secure a legal exemption.

The group had requested the same mechanism that allows supervised safe consumption sites to legally operate in Vancouver and for B.C. to pilot the decriminalization of small amounts of some drugs. Health Canada denied its application in 2022, and DULF has since asked for a judicial review of the decision in federal court. 

Tim Dickson and Stephanie Dickson, legal counsels for DULF, said in a joint statement to CBC News that their clients are disappointed that the charges were approved.

"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," the 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."

Vancouver Coastal Health's website says the Drug User Liberation Front Society received $200,000 of public funding in 2021-2022.

Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said the contract granted to DULF was for "drug testing," not to buy drugs, and when the government found out it had been doing so, the contract was cancelled.

Earlier this year, Nyx and Kalicum were among the authors of a research paper that looked at 47 people who used the unsanctioned compassion club.