Crystal Meth in Toronto: Ontario’s High-Risk Stimulant Market

Crystal Meth in Toronto: Ontario’s High-Risk Stimulant Market

Methamphetamine remains a potent drug threat. Toronto, as Canada’s financial hub, sees methamphetamine use concentrated among **vulnerable sub-populations**, such as street youth. While **crack** is the dominant stimulant in Ontario treatment reports, meth use is persistent.

Regional Usage and Sourcing

• Usage Context:
Use among street youth in metropolitan Toronto is widespread, with 37% of surveyed homeless youths reporting methamphetamine use.
• Sourcing:
Methamphetamine is often produced in large-scale **clandestine laboratories** in Canada, attributed to organized crime like outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) and Asian Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs).
• Wastewater Trends:
Toronto’s wastewater analysis has shown methamphetamine loads that are **lower** than Edmonton and Vancouver, but still part of a general increase since the start of the pandemic.

Severe Health and Social Consequences

Methamphetamine abuse creates severe harms, including a high risk of contracting infectious diseases.

• Physical Harms:
Meth use can cause heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death, even in young users. Overdose symptoms include psychosis, rapid heart rate, and liver/kidney failure.
• Psychological Harms:
Users may experience psychosis, paranoia, violent behavior, and permanent brain damage.
• Community Impact:
Increased crime, including assault and property offenses, is associated with the erratic, aggressive, and paranoid state of methamphetamine users.

Legality and Penalties in Canada

Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).

• Personal Possession (Indictable):
Maximum penalty is **seven years imprisonment**.
• Trafficking/Production (Indictable):
Maximum penalty is **life imprisonment**.
• First Offense (Summary Conviction):
May result in a fine up to $$1,000$ or imprisonment up to six months, or both.