Will there be decriminalization of drug possession for personal use in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

(Patria) - The team for monitoring the implementation of the Anti-Drug Abuse Strategy in Sarajevo Canton for the period 2024-2028, formed by the Minister of Interior of Sarajevo Canton Admir Katica, announced that it will request from the competent authorities to undertake activities for the implementation of another strategic measure, namely ensuring an effective penal policy.

The task of this team is to monitor and oversee the implementation of all measures provided for in the Strategy, which was adopted by the Government of Sarajevo Canton in December 2023, and within which numerous activities have been undertaken so far.

The measure of introducing an effective penal policy entails the implementation of activities aimed at amending legal regulations in the field of combating drug abuse, with the primary goal of reducing the availability and supply of narcotic drugs.

The implementation of the measure first envisages initiating amendments to criminal legislation with the aim of decriminalizing the possession of narcotic drugs for personal use. Persons who possess narcotic drugs up to a certain quantity, without the intention of placing them on the market, would be held MISDEMEANOR LIABLE and would be subject to sanctions such as: fines, revocation of driver's licenses, weapons permits, treatment and rehabilitation. This would significantly relieve the criminal justice system and avoid introducing individuals, especially minors, into the criminal justice system.

It is important to note that possession of narcotic drugs as a CRIMINAL OFFENSE currently exists only in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while in the Republika Srpska and Brčko District it is decriminalized and punishable as a MISDEMEANOR in accordance with the Law on Prevention and Suppression of Drug Abuse in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The team for monitoring the Anti-Drug Abuse Strategy in Sarajevo Canton adopted a conclusion by which it will request from the Police Administration of the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton their stance and experiences on this issue, in order to take measures for amendments to legal regulations in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. The team also adopted a conclusion proposing the formation of a working group consisting of representatives of relevant institutions and experts in this field, which will analyze existing legal regulations and propose amendments in accordance with the measure provided for by the Strategy.

The aforementioned strategic measure also envisages submitting an initiative for the inclusion of new types of narcotic drugs in the list of narcotic drugs at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, maintained by the competent authorities. Namely, new narcotic drugs that have been monitored in the European Union since 2005 pose a serious threat to public health and safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is currently unable to control and monitor their supply and production due to a lack of legislative control.

The fact that the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) monitored around 930 new psychoactive substances at the end of 2022, of which 41 were reported for the first time in Europe in 2022, and approximately 400 new psychoactive substances were discovered in seizures in 2021, speaks to the great danger. New narcotic drugs are sold as substitutes for cannabis products and stimulants such as amphetamines or opioids. A