First, Mr. MacGregor, I want to thank you for your advocacy on the important issue of how best to tackle opioid and substance issues, and I agree. I think you would hear from a great many experts that this is not always best dealt with on the front lines of our criminal justice system. In particular, you raised the government's reform around cannabis and the transformational efforts that were taken to take simple possession of cannabis out of the criminal justice system, because I think we all agree that was not an effective or efficient use of the scarce resources for our courts.
If I understand your point correctly, it was whether we should apply that same principle to other forms of simple possession of drugs that are under the CDSA, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. You are highlighting that a number of individuals and experts have come forward to support that position.
I think we absolutely need to have that conversation. We have to do it in a way that is principled. We have to do it in a way that really looks at the evidence, and we have to do it in a way that will ensure that we are using the criminal justice system as a last resort.
For people who suffer from substance challenges, I would be the first to acknowledge that simply putting someone who is an addict in jail is not going to solve the problem. What they need is support. They need treatment. They often need mental health supports. That's why I think we need to look at ways to bridge into those other areas.
I also think, just in rounding out my answer to you, that we also do have to be mindful that there are those who are still using fentanyl and opioids, which can be very deadly, for all the wrong reasons. That is where I do believe the criminal justice system is implicated in a way that is responsible.
I was getting at this earlier with Mr. Lloyd's question around the criminal sentencing reform. We do need to also make sure that for those who are trying to visit upon innocent individuals the worst consequences through substances that are highly regulated—