Latest penalty for possessing 1,000g of drugs?

Reply:Article 249 of the 2015 Penal Code, amended and supplemented in 2017, stipulates the crime of illegal possession of narcotics. Accordingly, for the act of illegal possession of narcotics weighing more than 1,000g, criminal responsibility will be determined according to the provisions of Clauses 3 and 4 specifically as follows:

3. Committing a crime in one of the following cases shall be punishable by imprisonment from 10 to 15 years:

a) Opium resin, cannabis resin or coca extract weighing from 01 kg to less than 05 kg;

b) Heroine, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, MDMA or XLR-11 weighing from 30 g to less than 100 g;

c) Coca leaves; khat leaves (Catha edulis leaves); leaves, roots, stems, branches, flowers, fruits of cannabis plants or other plant parts containing narcotic substances as prescribed by the Government with a weight from 25 kg to less than 75 kg;

d) Dried opium fruit weighing from 200 kg to less than 600 kg;

d) Fresh opium fruit weighing from 50 kg to less than 150 kg;

e) Other solid narcotics weighing from 100 g to less than 300 g;

g) Other drugs in liquid form with a volume from 250 ml to less than 750 ml;

h) Possessing two or more narcotic substances whose total mass or volume is equivalent to the mass or volume of the narcotic substance specified in one of the points from point a to point g of this clause.

4. Committing a crime in one of the following cases shall be punishable by imprisonment from 15 to 20 years or life imprisonment:

a) Opium resin, cannabis resin or coca extract weighing 5 kg or more;

b) Heroine, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, MDMA or XLR-11 weighing 100 grams or more;

c) Coca leaves; khat leaves (Catha edulis leaves); leaves, roots, stems, branches, flowers, fruits of cannabis plants or other plant parts containing narcotic substances as prescribed by the Government with a weight of 75 kg or more;

d) Dried opium fruit weighing 600 kg or more;

d) Fresh opium fruit weighing 150 kg or more;

e) Other solid narcotics weighing 300 g or more;

g) Other drugs in liquid form with a volume of 750 ml or more;

h) Possessing two or more narcotic substances whose total mass or volume is equivalent to the mass or volume of the narcotic substance specified in one of the points from point a to point g of this clause.

Thus, determining criminal responsibility for drug possession depends on the type of drug. With a weight of more than 1,000g, criminal responsibility will be determined according to the provisions of Clauses 3 and 4, Article 249 of the Penal Code, the lowest sentence is 10 years in prison, the highest is life imprisonment.