Polish legal system needs a clear definition of "small amounts" of drugs

Poland's drug law is the second most restrictive in Europe, after that of Belarus. The Polish Drug Policy Network is arguing for an immediate change to the Law on Counteracting Drug Addiction, while seeking to ease the draconian rules with temporary measures.

Until 2012, the harsh Polish drug law gave prosecutors and judges only one option in respect of illicit drug use and low-level possession - to send Polish citizens to prison, in line with Article 62 of the Law on Counteracting Drug Addiction. A year and a half ago, amendment 62A was passed, giving prosecutors discretion not to proceed with minor cases involving "small amounts" of a drug. The amendment did not, however, provide any definition of a “small amount”, nor did it include a drug quantity table as an Appendix. This omission has led to a situation where the provision has not been widely used, despite the large number of relevant cases, with someone being arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs every seventeen minutes in Poland today - a total of 30,000 people a year.

Please click here to read the full article.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.