Upcoming Events
Stay connected with the latest conversations and learning opportunities from CDPC. Our upcoming events bring together experts and communities from across movements to explore key issues and connections in drug policy.
Understanding the DULF Verdict
On September 29, 2026, the BC Supreme Court ruled that the criminal law used to arrest and convict DULF co-founders Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx is unconstitutional: section 5(2) of the CDSA violates the Section 7 and Section 15 Charter rights of DULF co-founders and people who use drugs. The Court declared section 5(2) of the CDSA invalid (of no force or effect), effective in six months. This delay is to give the legislature the opportunity to craft a response.
Join us for a conversation exploring the judgement, legal arguments, political context, and what this decision might hold for the future of drug policy in Canada.
Previous Events
Explore our archive of past events to watch recordings and learn more.
Poisoned Lands, Criminalized Communities: Environmental Racism and Drug Policy in Conversation
What do mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows First Nation and Coca leaf eradication in the Amazon and Pacific rainforest have in common? Watch to explore how Indigenous and racialized communities experience environmental harm, criminalization, and state neglect, and what meaningful solidarity across struggles can look like.
Addiction Treatment in Context
Watch a discussion of Addiction Treatment in Context: Principles for a System of Just, Accessible, and Voluntary Care. Nicole Luongo guides us through the policy statement’s key principles, the role of treatment within the broader social and policy context of substance use, and how governments can better support health, dignity, and equity.
Critical Conversations: Connecting with Chinese-speaking Communities about Drug Policy
This webinar explores how the lack of meaningful government engagement with Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking communities during the toxic drug crisis has created space for misinformation and barriers to evidence-based drug policy reform. It builds on conversations hosted by the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition and Yarrow Intergenerational Society with Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking seniors in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
The Roots of Indigenous Harm Reduction with Denise Baldwin and Les Harper
This in-depth conversation explores Denise Baldwin’s work as a long-time advocate for harm reduction and drug policies that meet the needs of her communities. Baldwin reflects on the challenges faced before 2016 and those that persist today, while highlighting Indigenous community care in the face of ongoing colonization and unequal, harmful policies.
The Power and Limits of Evidence in Policy Change with Lisa Lapointe
Explore how Lapointe’s perspective on the unregulated drug crisis evolved in her role, the tension between evidence-informed expert recommendations and government policy choices, and the importance of data transparency.
Solidarity Not Silos: The Attack on Public Healthcare
Across Canada, marginalized communities are being blamed for crises caused by political choices to underfund healthcare and other essential services. We confront these escalating threats, strengthen cross-movement solidarity, and share actionable solutions.
Confronting Fear-Based Politics – Drug Policy, Borders and Migration
Examine how drug policy and migration intersect, revealing how fear-driven politics and criminalization harm marginalized communities and undermine human rights.
HIV/AIDS, Harm Reduction and 2SLGBTQIA+ History
Explore the intertwined histories of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and harm reduction, and learn how past and present organizers continue to defend health, dignity, and justice today.
Beyond the Distractions: Criminalization Across Communities
Examine decriminalization across movements, uncovering shared histories, lived experiences, and the power of solidarity in advancing human rights for all.
Shared Struggles, Shared Rights: Building Solidarity for Bodily Autonomy
Explore the intersections of bodily autonomy, drug policy, reproductive rights, mental health, and trans rights—and discover how collective action drives justice and freedom.
Getting to Tomorrow: 7 Actions to End the Unregulated Drug Crisis
This project brought together communities across Canada to identify seven key action areas and 82 recommendations for drug policies that promote safety, equity, and well-being for all.