BC Gov News

Cannabis is now legal — but if you choose to use, don’t drive.

With great power comes great responsibility – but you wouldn’t know it from some of the troubling, recent traffic statistics in B.C.

It’s about a month to go until non-medical cannabis becomes legal in Canada, so here’s a quick snapshot of what to expect in B.C. as of Oct. 17, 2018.

During Tsunami Preparedness Week, we need only reflect on the events of Jan. 23, 2018, when many of us were rousted out of our beds just before 2 a.m.

Our government continues to take urgent action to keep auto insurance rates affordable. At the same time, we're preparing for the legalization of non-medical cannabis, and its implications for road safety.

When I took on my new role as parliamentary secretary on July 18, 2017, wildfires were sweeping through the Interior, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes and communities.

The illicit drug overdose crisis has taken over 2,000 lives in British Columbia since January 2016, and the province is likely to surpass the 1,500 mark for deaths in 2017 alone. 

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Nov. 25, reminds governments and individuals alike that we have important work to do to advance the safety of vulnerable women – in their homes, on the street and in their daily lives.

The stories of people taken by the overdose crisis come from every corner of the province. A forestry worker in the North who became addicted to painkillers for a workplace injury and then turned to street drugs. Friends celebrating after a wedding in the Interior. Suburban parents who left behind young children. Middle-aged men who were clean and sober for years.