Last week’s change to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act permits doctors to provide a small amount of legally obtained pharmaceutical-grade heroin to patients who have a chronic heroin dependency.
The program is meant to give users just enough of the drug to take the edge off of their withdrawal symptoms, helping them stabilize their lives and avoid the crime and overdose risk that usually accompanies heroin use.
This doesn't mean doctors will be handing out heroin to any addict off the street, however, the Canadian government says the program will only cover a small minority of users who haven't had success with conventional treatments, as a treatment for those who are severely addicted to the drug. like methadone.