Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Society

The decision was unanimous, and Saeima is to give the final vote.

During the committee meeting, the deputies first listened to counter-arguments voiced by representatives from the healthcare sector. The initiative's advocates were invited to speak afterwards.

As reported, the signature drive for marijuana decriminalization was launched on manabalss.lv on January 23, 2012. A total of 10,373 signatures of the petition were previously checked by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. 256 signatures were deemed invalid as they were provided with false personal identity codes, while another 748 were signed by residents under the age of 18.

The petition's advocates called for abolishing the penalties for use of marijuana, as well as growing or possession of limited amounts of marijuana for own needs if the person is 18 or older.

According to spokesman Donats Blazevics, decriminalization is the most effective way how to solve drug problems in society, adding that the World Health Organization suggests the same.

Meanwhile, Latvian pharmaceutical companies are expressing strong objections against any attempts to legalize or facilitate free turnover of narcotics in the country, furthermore, youth's interest in mild drugs will only grow because of promotion of such public initiatives, this according to Alla Cudovska, a spokeswoman for the Pharmacists' Society of Latvia.