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Should pot revenue be set aside for addiction services?

Overdose deaths still a 'chronic issue' despite report showing dip in numbers

Jordan Miller was 23 years old when he started his challenges with addiction. Miller suffered a workplace back injury and his family doctor prescribed oxycontin — an opioid — to help him manage the pain.

When his prescriptions were cut off after a few months, he turned to the street to find the drugs needed to keep the withdrawal away. In February, 2014, when Miller was 25, he got his hands on the drugs that would take his life.

"He got some drugs from other doctors and he took several different ones in one day," said his mother, Leslie McBain. "It stopped his heart."

McBain is among a group of families directly affected by the opioid crisis, who sent an open letter to the leaders of B.C.'s three largest political parties on Monday.

The group wants to see all of the net tax revenue expected after marijuana is legalized to go into addiction recovery, treatment and mental health services — issues typically related to harder drugs than pot.

"If we had had more access to doctors who were addictions doctors … I know that that could have saved his life," said McBain of her son.

"We have fought for, and witnessed, various measures undertaken by the province to address this epidemic," the group's letter read.

"The declaration of a public health emergency, the addition of treatment beds, and the expansion of harm reduction interventions have, unfortunately, failed to stem the tide of deaths that have touched our families and thousands of others," it continued, adding that resources put aside for the overdose crisis appear to be inadequate.

"We request you to publicly commit to fully investing this new tax revenue in substance use prevention and treatment to the scale that is necessary to end this public health emergency.

Leaders respond

On Monday, B.C. Liberal Leader Christy Clark said she supported the idea but focused mostly on directing expected marijuana tax revenues toward issues related to pot.

"I 100 per cent support that, and you know, my number one concern is keeping marijuana out of the hands of kids," said Clark.

"I also commit that we are going to take every penny of revenue that we get for the sale of marijuana, and we are going to put it into drug education for kids. We're going to put it into law enforcement to stop the spread of drugs in our society," she continued, adding that some money would go toward health care for people with addiction issues.

B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan wouldn't commit to directing marijuana revenue toward anything in particular, saying that was still 18 months away, and the overdose crisis required a more urgent response.

"The fentanyl crisis and addictions and mental health issues have been neglected for over a decade now," said Horgan. "We want to make sure no more families have to suffer. No more lives are lost."

The NDP. leader's plan includes creating a ministry of mental health and addictions.

"The federal government has committed $10 million to British Columbia, and as I understand it, the B.C. Liberals haven't allocated those resources," said Horgan.

"The first order of business is to have someone in government who's accountable for this, and the next order of business is to make sure they have the resources they need, and I'm committed to doing that."

For McBain, marijuana isn't the problem.

"Our main concern is that people are dying from illicit opioids and becoming addicted with no treatment options," she said.

Follow Rafferty Baker on Twitter: @raffertybaker