Ms Fiona Wilson:

Great question. When decriminalisation happened, because it became lawful to possess, and there were no restrictions on public consumption other than a couple of exceptions in the exemption, it became lawful to use. The use was lawful by virtue of the possession. We have very restrictive conditions under which people can consume alcohol in public spaces. You cannot walk down the street and consume alcohol. You cannot sit on a park bench and consume alcohol for the most part. There are very restrictive parameters around when you can use alcohol in a public space. In the wake of decriminalisation, because public consumption was never addressed, somebody could technically be shooting heroin at a transit bus stop although they could not be consuming a beer lawfully.