Several dozen activists of the National Anti-Drug League and the national movement, Voluntary Youth Patrols picketed the premises of the FSN, federal drug traffic monitoring service. Motto'ed, "We young choose life!", the rally came under streamers, "Death to kid-killer pushers!" and "No to legal drugs!" Quiet and peaceable, the pickets contacted Alexander Mikhailov, FSN deputy chief, to give him a protest petition. They have found the service an ally-it is determined to have the decree drastically amended, Mr. Mikhailov said to Novosti.
Its standards are too liberal to curb addiction, he says. In fact, a permissible 0.1 gram heroin dose makes ten to fifteen dopes-pusher's paradise, though Russia is signatory to several international conventions that ban heroin and certain other drugs. Now, the decree legalises them to clash with those pledges.
Government decree No. 231, of May 6, 2004, entered into force a few days ago to establish average drug and mood-changer doses whose storage and traffic is exempt from criminal liability. More than that, amendments of December 8, 2003, to Russia's Criminal Code abolish criminal liability for circulation-except sales-of drug batches within ten average one-time doses.
The decree specifies average one-time doses of heroin, ketamine and cannabis as 0.1 grams, dried marijuana 2 grams, and cocaine 0.15 grams.
