Drug Awareness - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the demand for illicit drugs increasing in Canada?
2. Is methamphetamine the same as crystal meth?
3. How many Clandestine Lab Seizures has Canadian law enforcement carried out in the past year or two?
4. Where are most of these clandestine labs located in Canada?
5. What are the main Canadian drug trends?
6. What are the impacts of these trends?
7. What is the most common illegal drug in Canada? 
8. Do you have stats on how much marihuana is seized in Canada?
9. What is the RCMP's position on decriminalization of marijuana possession?
10. What is the RCMP's position on supervised injection sites?.

1. Is the demand for illicit drugs increasing in Canada?

Yes, they are exactly the same chemical compound and legislation in Canada does not differentiate between these two physical forms.

2. Is methamphetamine the same as crystal meth?

Yes, they are exactly the same chemical compound and legislation in Canada does not differentiate between these two physical forms.

3. How many Clandestine Lab Seizures has Canadian law enforcement carried out in the past year or two?

In 2008, Canadian law enforcement agencies seized 43 clandestine synthetic drug lab sites across the country, of which the majority were manufacturing methamphetamine or MDMA (Ecstasy). That number remained stable from the previous year.

4. Where are most of these clandestine labs located in Canada?

In 2008, clan labs were primarily located in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, and most commonly in family dwellings.

5. What are the main Canadian drug trends?

• Synthetic Drugs: Canada remains one of the source countries for MDMA (Ecstasy) and methamphetamine. This has prompted the RCMP to designate synthetic drug production and trafficking as a national operational priority.
• Marihuana: This remains the top domestically produced drug in Canada, comprising approximately 75 percent of all drugs seized in 2008.
• Cocaine: Other than marihuana, cocaine is one of the most commonly trafficked and distributed drugs in Canada.

6. What are the impacts of these trends?

There are numerous impacts including social, economic, public and law enforcement health and safety.

It is also important to note the connection between organized crime and the manufacturing and distribution of illicit drugs. Organized crime facilitates every step of the drug trade in Canada, and continues to be directly linked to economic-based clandestine labs involved in the large-scale production of synthetic drugs.

7. What is the most common illegal drug in Canada?

Marihuana is the most widely abused illicit drug substance in Canada. Although marihuana, hashish and liquid hashish are all derivatives of Cannabis sativa, marihuana is the most widespread in all regions of Canada.

8. Do you have stats on how much marihuana is seized in Canada?

In 2008, there were 37,196 kilograms of marihuana and 1.8 million plants seized by Canadian law enforcement. Most of what is seized comes from domestic production. B.C., Ontario and Quebec remain the primary producing provinces. Statistics Canada recently reports that approximately 60 percent of cannabis production offences occurred in a residence, (Grow Operations).

9. What is the RCMP’s position on decriminalization of marijuana possession?

The RCMP believes in and takes a two-pronged approach to illicit drugs, one that emphasizes demand and supply reduction. We feel this is the best way of reducing the use and abuse of marihuana.

Our goal is to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. A lot of people using marihuana are not fully informed about the risks. There are very real health and safety issues surrounding marihuana.

The question of whether or not to decriminalize marihuana possession is a matter for Parliament to decide.

10. What is the RCMP’s position on supervised injection sites?

The RCMP is engaged in discussions with communities, governments, and other law enforcement partners to examine potential solutions to the risks posed by injection drug use.

The costs associated with illicit injection drug use for individuals, communities, the health care system and the economy are significant and must be addressed.

The RCMP strongly believes that any solution to the health issue of illicit injection drug use must not contribute to an increase in supply or demand for illegal drugs. In order for this project to succeed, there must be many components in place, including treatment, which allow the user to eventually become drug free.

We need more prevention and treatment. Diversion through Drug Treatment Courts is one viable alternative.

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Source: Canada Drug Situation Report 2008 by the Criminal Intelligence Directorate, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ottawa