Lower penalties for illegal drugs

Penalties for the possession of small amounts of illegal drugs in Slovakia are being moderated in the country's courts, with prison sentences no longer applying in certain cases, according to the daily SME. Lower-instance courts received a recommendation two years ago that reduced penalties should apply in cases of possession of up to 500 milligrams of marijuana. The Bratislava Regional Court recently ruled that a man who was found to be in possession of less than 100 milligrams of pervitin (methamphetamine) should not be viewed as having committed a criminal offence. Justice Minister Lucia Žitňanská (Most-Hid) has stated that plans are afoot to determine permitted amounts of drugs within legislation. Most people who are caught in possession of drugs are carrying them only for their own use. Experts such as Tatiana Hicarová from the Plan B-Drugs Differently organisation claim that treating them as criminals slows down the work of the country's courts and creates a group of people who then have problems finding work. It's estimated that around 15 percent of the population of Slovakia has experience with taking illegal drugs.