Originally Posted by newwestdork

I live in Vancouver and I assume you're referring to Insite, which is a safe injection site. It's not a street kiosk - it is a facility with medical personnel, clean needles and addictions counselors. Insite has prevented hundreds of overdose deaths and has been shown (in the Canadian Medical Journal) to have a positive effect on addicts - those who go to Insite are much more likely to enter rehab than those who continue to shoot up on the street. It's harm reduction, not encouragement.

As an aside about the legality of Insite - possession is illegal at the federal level (Canada does not have states and provinces do not have their own Criminal Code) but Insite has been specifically granted permission to operate because it helps addicts move into recovery and reduces healthcare costs.

And the idea that marijuana is a "gateway drug" is absolute garbage that I thought we'd moved past in the 21st century, but apparently not. This is what I mean by the United States ignoring evidence and setting policy based on ideology.