Norway becomes first Scandinavian country to decriminalize drugs

Norway will become the first Scandinavian country to decriminalize drug use.
Most lawmakers in the Norwegian parliament voted to support the decriminalization of drugs, in a historic move backed by conservatives, liberals, Labor, and socialists. MPs have called the government on drug policy reform.

"We will treat drug addicts and not treat them as criminals"

Sveinung Stensland, deputy head of the Storting Health Committee, told local media: "It is important to emphasize that we will not legalize marijuana and other drugs, but decriminalize. The change will take some time, but this means a change of vision: We will treat addicts as patients, and we will not treat them as criminals and punish classical sentences. "

Norway will join this decision with the Netherlands, Uruguay, some US states, and Portugal, which has the smallest number of drug-related deaths in the European Union after decriminalizing drug possession.

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