Paul is a PWUD who used drugs heavily for 34 years, including alcohol, hash, marijuana, psychedelics (ketamine, magic mushrooms, mescaline, LSD, and phencyclidine (“PCP”)), and stimulants (cocaine, ecstasy, GHB, and meth). He also sold small amounts of drugs to friends to afford his drug use. Paul no longer heavily uses drugs but occasionally uses alcohol, marijuana, and rarely magic mushrooms.

Paul has had several negative interactions with law enforcement, such as racist carding and arbitrary detention. He’s never been charged with drug possession or trafficking, but the fear and stigmatization caused by these offences led him to avoid medical treatment and harm reduction in the past, when he heavily used drugs that put him at greater risk of overdose. Paul now works in harm reduction, with the BCCDC and Vancouver Coastal Health, and advocates for decriminalization, as he sees firsthand the devastating effects of the ongoing overdose epidemic.

Paul knows criminalization of drug possession and trafficking are deterring many PWUDs (particularly those that are IBPOC) from seeking medical treatment and harm reduction. He thinks the Drug Decriminalization action will ultimately reduce overdose deaths and injuries, while also limiting one method for law enforcement to disproportionately target IBPOC Canadians.