Draft concerning amendments being proposed to the law on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is not endorsed at the committee sitting

At May 17sitting of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, legislative initiatives were debated in the second reading.

Amendments of several editorial character were made from the first to the second reading to the laws on Making Amendments and Addenda to the law on Narcotics and Psychotropic (Psychedelic) Substances and on Amending the RA Code on Administrative Offences authored by the Government.

According to the key rapporteur, the RA First Deputy of Health Lena Nanushyan, since the adoption of the law on industrial hemp there are no serious moves in the field. The Government presented a package of drafts, by which the problems impeding the business should be solved.

The draft proposed to give opportunity the entities to create production of hemp within 2 years instead of 1 year.

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Reference was made to the order of quota review, Lena Nanushyan noted that the Government defines it. The licensed person can apply for the review of the quotas for the next year until the last quarter of the given year.

The participants of the debate and the Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan opined that the problems will not be solved: in the future there will be no need for touching upon the package.

The Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Babken Tunyan expressed opinion the it would be right that the Ministry of Economy, but not the Ministry of Health presents this initiative, as it refers to the economy. Though the amendment is made to the law, which relates to the Ministry of Health, but it solves economic problem.

The Deputy Chair of the Committee informed that he will not vote for the draft law, as it needs additional debate. In this context he proposed the attendees to take the draft to the first reading during the plenary sittings and debate it one more month. If there will be any proposals or alternative versions by the institutions, they will also be included within the framework of the issue under debate.

As a result of debates, the draft law was not endorsed.

National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia