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Justice Minister Andrzej Czuma has initially approved amendments to a bill on counteracting drug addiction. Now the draft bill has to be accepted by the government.

"The regulations approved nine years ago which punish users for possessing even a small amount of intoxicants have not fulfilled the hopes," said Barbara Wilamowska the coordinator of the National Program for Counteracting Drug Addiction. "We are proposing a system which will not punish occasional users of, for example marijuana. There will be a chance to diagnose and help the addicted."

In line with the current regulations, everyone who possesses even a slight amount of a drug is a criminal. The Ministry proposes that if the amount is "insignificant and intended for personal use," the prosecutor may determine that a punishment would be "of no purpose due to the circumstances and due to low level of social harm" the charges may be withdrawn.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza