The Manitoba government says it will not follow the British Columbia government in decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use.

The federal government has approved British Columbia's three-year exemption request that prevents charges against anyone with 2.5 grams or less of drugs, including opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Regional health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the exemption will help keep people alive and allow them to access health and social support and be under health and security monitoring.

But Manitoba's Minister of Justice, Kelvin Goertzen, says the province is focused on cutting off illegal drug supplies while providing addiction treatment to users and not opening the door to more addiction and other resulting problems.

The New Democratic Party says the government should study the impact of the change in British Columbia before making its decision.