Under questioning from reporters, Osborne seemed to contradict herself. She acknowledged that “the rate of possession offenses, the seizures of drugs, did go down especially in that initial first part of the decriminalization pilot.”

But the minister couldn’t quite explain where the pilot fell short. She did say the goal of the project was “to make it easier for people who struggle with addiction to come forward and seek help.” When reporters asked how the pilot project influenced rates of treatment, Osborne said it was almost impossible to tell.