The Portuguese President of the Republic will enact the new version of the drug law after it has been validated by the Portuguese Constitutional Court.
After the decree was approved by the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic more than one month ago, the President decided to send it to the Constitutional Court.
According to him, the autonomous regions (in this case, Madeira) were not properly taken into account, and that could cause the proposal to be unconstitutional.
According to the court’s decision, the decree is not unconstitutional. The validation by the Constitutional Court means that the law will have to be enacted by the President, and come into effect.
What’s the new Portuguese drug law 2023?
This new version of the drug law introduces two big changes. First, it extends decriminalization to synthetic drugs. Second, it removes the possession limit that was acceptable for consumption.
These changes are supposed to guarantee the effectiveness of the drug law within the new drug paradigm, and at providing a better basis for distinguishing between users and traffickers.
However, some experts argue that this version will create a ‘gray area’ that will be difficult for the authorities. They believe that this new law creates a precedent that will contribute to the worsening of the current state of the country when it comes to drugs. Instead of better defining the line that helps distinguish users from traffickers, the new version of the law blurs it. According to them, both the police force, and the Portuguese courts will have a hard time.
