The Norwegian government’s drug reform on decriminalization of use and possession has been put to rest – but the parliament (Storting) wants minor drug offenses to be removed from the record.
After heated discussions this spring, the recommendation from the Health and Care Committee on the drug reform was presented in the parliament on Thursday afternoon.
A parliamentary majority is in favor of information on the use and possession of drugs for personal use being blocked in a person’s record after three years.
Few opponents
All parties except the Center Party (SP) and the Progress Party (FRP) support the proposal.
“We want to remove minor drugs from the record so that ordinary people who have smoked cannabis can travel to the US or apply for more jobs,” the SV’s Nicholas Wilkinson told news bureau NTB.
The information would be blocked in the record only if no other criminal offenses were registered during the three-year period.
A majority is also in favor of the so-called Good Samaritan law, according to which the police should not prosecute possible minor drug offenses in cases where people provide assistance or call for help in acute emergencies, such as overdoses.
“Can save lives”
The Socialist Left party (SV) has submitted proposals for such a law on previous occasions.
“This proposal can save more lives,” Wilkinson believes.
Four out of ten people don’t call an ambulance in acute situations where drug addicts overdose, became psychotic, or are seriously injured, mainly out of fear that the police would be involved, according to a survey published in the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association on Wednesday.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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