Cannabis in Kosovo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cannabis in Kosovo is illegal for both medicinal or recreational purposes.[1][2] Penalties are defined by Article 269 of the Kosovo Criminal Code, last revised in January 2019. For first-time offenders, possession of illicit substances leads to either a one-year sentence or, more likely, a financial penalty of €250-300.[3] A 2014 survey of 5,500 Kosovans reported that 10% knew someone who had used cannabis and 12.6% reported having easy access to cannabis.[3]
History
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ratified the Second International Opium Convention on 4 September 1929.[4] The first law to sanction drug use was the Criminal Code of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes passed on 27 January 1929 and which entered into force on 1 January 1930, which sets a prison sentence of up to 6 months for "serving" narcotic drugs in the section "Crimes against Public Health".[5]
Trafficking
Since the Kosovo War, organised crime in Kosovo has involved the trafficking of drugs including marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. Kosovo acts as a transit hub for traffic between Afghanistan and Italy,[6] and from Albania to the rest of Europe.[7] From 2001 to 2007, a total of 286.89 kg of cannabis was seized by Kosovo Police.[8] However, cannabis is cultivated in Kosovo primarily for domestic use. The cultivation of cannabis is spread throughout most parts of the country's territory.[9][10]
