TIRANA, Nov. 7 – Drug addicts caught with less than 3 grams of marijuana aimed for personal use will no longer be arrested and jailed, according to a new amendment to the country’s criminal code.
So far, cannabis users have been thrown behind bars when found with small amounts of drugs for personal use, but officials plan to go ahead with plans to abolish tougher sentences for cannabis users caught with less than 3 grams of narcotics.
Legal experts involved in drafting the proposed amendments for the country’s Penal Code have recently admitted that possession of up to 3 grams for personal use could soon be allowed in Albania.
A similar proposal was made earlier by Minister of Interior Saimir Tahiri who urged the government to approve some amendments to the existing legal status of cannabis for personal use.
In Albania, cannabis extracts — marijuana, hashish and cannabis oil — are classified as narcotic drugs under the current legislation. The proposed amendment of the article 238 of the Penal Code supported by Minister Tahiri suggests that “the possession of cannabis for personal consumption should not be considered a criminal offence rather than an administrative misdemeanor.”
According to the Minister of Interior, possession and smoking cannabis must be sentenced via a fine, based on the experience of several EU countries.
“In 70 percent of the cases when police forces arrests people in possession of marijuana, prosecutors fail to press criminal charges. Even when that happens, it requires an extraordinary commitment of resources and expertise to verify “the daily dose of narcotics” for each consumer based on the case. These expenses are unnecessary,” Tahiri said.
The recent amendments to the legislation will toughen penalties for producers and traffickers of narcotics.
Each year about 250 narcotics users appear to court and are punished by law for producing and distributing narcotics.
The legal definition of a producer and distributor is vague and has become a heavy burden for minors who according to experts are the real victims of the use of cannabis.
