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Retsudvalget 2013-14
REU Alm.del Bilag 408
Offentligt

Drug legislation in the Member States

of the European Union

Brendan Hughes

Lisbon, 22 September 2014

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Outline…

Definitions

Laws – the text

Laws – the practice

Laws – the effects

Legalisation regimes

[email protected]

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Legal terms applied to drug control

Offence level

Criminal, punished

Depenalisation

Decriminalisation

Criminal, not

punished (case

closed)

Non-criminal

offence

Legalisation

Prohibited

Permitted

Not an offence, in

defined

circumstances

Regulation

Not an offence,

generally

Free market

Users

Suppliers

[email protected]

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According to those countries, why…?

…decriminalise?

Concentrate resources on

more serious crimes

Reduce judicial system

backlog / prison population

Encourage entry to

treatment

Bring law and practice

closer

Proportionate response

…legalise?

Concentrate resources on

more serious crimes

Reduce judicial system

backlog / prison population

Separate the markets

Regulate visible trade

(away from OCGs)

Gain tax revenue for

healthcare, education,

prevention.

…Reasons of efficiency and/or effectiveness

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Drug use / consumption –

an offence? (DRAFT)

Criminal offence (8)

Non-criminal

offence (6)

Not an offence (16)

(ELDD Topic Overview – Illegal Consumption)

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Possession of drugs for personal use (minor

offences): possibility of imprisonment in laws

(ELDD Topic

Overview –

Illegal Possession:

Annual Report

2011, Fig 2

Since 1/2013:

Croatia)

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Does the penalty vary by drug?

(ELDD Topic Overview –

Classification: EDR 2013, Fig 4.2)

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Cannabis supply penalties

(EU Drug Markets Report 2013)

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Sentence type – personal use offences

EMCDDA Selected Issue Sentencing, 2009

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Sentence type – supply offences

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DRAFT Supply penalties estimates (2014)

(from approx 5 practitioners per country [DK:7])

Months in prison

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DRAFT Supply penalties estimates (2014)

(from approx 5 practitioners per country [DK:7])

Months in prison

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Do changes in legal sanctions result in

observable changes in cannabis use rates?

With many caveats,

the best available

evidence shows no

clear impact of

penalty changes on

cannabis use.

(EMCDDA Annual

Report 2011, Ch.3)

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Legalisation regimes – brief comparison

Netherlands

Level of law

National

prosecutor

guidelines

Municipality

Washington

State

State law

(conflict with

federal law)

Washington

State Liquor

Control Board

Not allowed

Colorado State

State constitution

(conflict with

federal law)

Colorado

Department of

Revenue

Up to six plants,

three in flower

(cannot be sold)

1 oz (28.5 g)

Uruguay

National law

Regulatory

Body

Age limit for

possession

Growing at

home

National

Cannabis

Institute

Up to six

plants / 480 g

40 g

Up to five

plants if for

own use

Maximum

5 g (limit for

amount

investigation)

permitted for

30 g (limit for

possession

prosecution)

1 oz (28.5 g)

EMCDDA Perspectives on Drugs (2014)

Models for the legal supply of cannabis: recent developments

[email protected]

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Thank you for listening – any questions?

Brendan Hughes

emcdda.europa.eu

twitter.com/emcdda

facebook.com/emcdda

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