Adastra cocaine controversy sparks safe supply conversations 

While Adastra Holdings Ltd. is now walking back its initial claims that it was approved by Health Canada to “legally possess, produce, sell and distribute” cocaine, the situation is opening up more discussions around safe supply in B.C.

Although the initial representation of what Adastra said it was approved to do wasn’t entirely accurate, there has been a mixed reaction from advocates on the topic.

Read more: Adastra issues retraction, clarification over cocaine approval

Some believe that Health Canada’s move to give approvals opens doors.

“I see it as…the opening of a window here, opening the door — and that’s fantastic,” Karen Ward, and independent drug policy analyst in Vancouver, said.

Ward says it is more than just about safe supply — it also signals a change in how the province is tackling policy and could allow for bigger changes down the road.

“Let’s not think of this as medical at all. In a way, I don’t want to think of this granted in a bigger sense, in the wider sense, because this is really, this could potentially, it could lead to all kinds of things and that’s fantastic,” Ward said.

“In terms of policy movement, yes, it’s a big step forward and it’s really good to see.”

Ward says changes need to happen on both a political and social level.

“We waited way too long to actually start very seriously addressing the supply. We’ve waited way too long, because the governments are stuck on his addiction narrative, because that makes it, I think, an individual problem rather than a political problem, right? Rather than one you have to address on a social level. If we address it on a social level, that means ending prohibition and that means actual systemic change. A change that we get further changes,” she said.

But the premise that a private company could be granted the ability to produce drugs like cocaine isn’t sitting well with all those on the frontline.

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• Cocaine controversy: B.C. company Adastra sees stock price surge more than 75%

Vince Tao, community organizer at the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), says businesses shouldn’t be in charge of creating a safe supply.

“I think it’s quite alarming,” he said. “Going straight from decriminalization to commercialization is you know, we’re going down a bad path, right?”

“What we really want to see is a community-controlled model of safe supply and one that requires…nationalized production of these drugs as well,” Tao added.

Jon Braithwaite, a long-term volunteer and supervisor at VANDU, echoes these concerns,and adds allowing private companies to produce these types of drugs isn’t the way to save lives.

“A privatized company is only in it to make money. That is not safe supply, that is drug dealing. And that’s not what we’re striving to do down here,” Braithwaite said.

“I’m also concerned that it also says that the stock price of Adastra has gone up 75 per cent since last week…so we have a privatized company [whose] stock price has gone through the roof, and it looks to me like it’s just a cash grab.”

As of Friday morning, Adastra Holdings Ltd., parent company of Adastra Labs in Langley Township, has seen its stock rise in excess of 70 per cent on the Canadian Securities Exchange, and its stock is up more than 100 per cent over the last five days.

Braithwaite says safe supply should have “strict guardrails to prevent death,” adding that is the ultimate goal.

“This is a failure of government to actually step up and do what we have been campaigning for, for a very long time, which is community-controlled, and government-regulated production and distribution of drugs. This is skipping that step, and it’s just, we’re going to unleash a Pandora’s box if we, again, leave it to a private market,” Tao added, speaking to CityNews prior to Adastra’s retraction.

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He says he feels governments are moving too slowly on safe supply, especially as B.C. continues to deal with a toxic drug crisis that has claimed the lives of thousands of people.

Tao explains neighbourhoods know best, adding those on the frontline should be consulted when the safe supply conversation arises.

“The neighborhood knows best — who needs the drugs, how much they need, how it could be distributed best to keep it, you know, safe, right? and to reduce the harms of the illegal market,” Tao said.

With files from Charlie Carey

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