Fact Check

Did Canada Legalize the Medicinal Use of Cocaine?

A routine review of content labeled satire.

Published Oct. 4, 2019

NIGHTLIFE NIGHT CLUB WOMAN OFFERING/USING DRUGS (Getty Images)
NIGHTLIFE NIGHT CLUB WOMAN OFFERING/USING DRUGS (Image Via Getty Images)
Claim:
Canada legalized the medicinal use of cocaine.

On Sep. 20, 2019, Huzlers published an article positing that Canada legalized "the medicinal use of cocaine":

Canada Legalizes Medicinal Cocaine

Canada became the first Western country to legalize the medicinal use of cocaine today. In a close 158-150 vote the House of Commons passed the Drug Policy Modernization Act (DPMA), which allows doctors to prescribe the drug to treat various medical ailments.

This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

"Huzlers is a Chicago based satirical news blog that focuses on celebrities, hip hop and urban entertainment."

Notes

Why We Include Humor and Satire in Snopes.com

Sources

Huzlers.   “Canada Legalizes Medicinal Cocaine.”     20 September 2019.

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