Russia has reduced the threshold of an especially large size for methadone by 10 times – RBK

V explanatory note to the draft resolution it was said that with regard to methadone “over the past five years, there has been a serious trend towards an increase in both the mass of withdrawals from illegal circulation and the number of established facts of its“ mono consumption ”. According to the authors of the bill, the average single dose of methadone is about 0.05 grams. That is, according to the previous legislation, criminal liability arises in the case of storing a volume of drugs equal to ten average doses. “This circumstance is actively used by the entire“ criminal chain ”of drug dealers seeking to avoid criminal liability,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs believes.

The changes are aimed at further criminalizing drug use and “making it easier for the police,” Levinson said. According to him, one gram (large threshold) is the amount that drug addicts acquire for several days of use.

“It does nothing to solve the problem of drug abuse, to reduce the level of drug use in the community, or to reduce the availability of drugs. There is no use in tightening the already highly repressive drug sizing regulations. On the contrary, it allows the police to engage in simulated drug control. To report on the disclosure of grave and especially grave crimes, suppression of drug trafficking on a “large” scale, but in reality to confiscate only grams, imprison drug users, and at the same time remain inactive in suppressing the real drug business, turn a blind eye to the distribution of kilograms and tons of drugs, “Levinson is sure …

In addition to changing the threshold volumes of methadone, the decree contains a number of amendments. Several dozen substances are added to the list of illegal drugs, which in the explanatory note to the draft resolution are called “designer drugs” or new psychoactive substances (NPS). These are some chemical compounds from the fentanyl group, other opioid analgesics, benzodiapines, synthetic cannabinoids.

As for fentanyl, carfentanyl and their modifications, “these opiates have a thousand times stronger effect, much less substance is required to achieve drug intoxication,” Levinson explained to RBC. Fentanyl itself is used in medicine (for example, in Russia it is included in list II of narcotic substances – its circulation is subject to control, but not completely prohibited). Moreover, it is common among people with opioid dependence, and its lethal dose for humans is extremely small; in countries and regions of Russia, where substances of this group are widespread in illegal circulation, it is noted big number deaths from overdose. Overseas, fentanyl overdoses have been responsible for the deaths of American rock artist Prince and rapper Lil Peep.

The problem with prosecution for trafficking in such substances is that the size of the drug when the alleged offender is detained is not precisely determined, says Levinson: it is enough for law enforcement agencies that it exceeds a certain threshold. In practice, this allows “imprisoning drug users with several doses for 10-20 years” instead of fighting really large consignments of drugs intended for sale, the lawyer is sure.