Topic Overviews cover the following areas:
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Classification of controlled drugs
- How are drugs classified at international level and why?
- Does the EU have a standardised classification system?
- Do different types of drugs elicit different legal responses?
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Personal possession of cannabis
- Is cannabis equal to other substances or not?
- When are cannabis-related offences prosecuted?
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Illegal consumption of drugs and the law
- Is drug consumption per se illegal?
- Is it prosecuted?
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Legal status of drug testing in the workplace
- In which conditions is testing permitted?
- What are the rights and responsibilities of the employer and employee?
- Are there privacy or data protection issues involved?
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Illegal possession of drugs
- Is possession of drugs 'for personal use' viewed differently from other forms of possession?
- Do the quantities and nature of the drug(s) involved affect the legal response?
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Drugs and driving
- What drugs are prohibited for drivers?
- Can police stop drivers randomly, or do they need suspicion?
- Should a driver be under influence, or does any trace of drugs lead to an offence?
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Illegal drug trafficking
- Is there a difference between trafficking in drugs for personal use and trafficking for commercial purposes?
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Hallucinogenic mushrooms
- Are these controlled in Member States?
- What happens if they grow in the wild?
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Treatment alternatives to prosecution or prison
- Are alternative measures to prosecution for drug offences available?
- Does the offender have to be an addict?
- Can they be used for theft offences?
- Are they compulsory?
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Legal status of opioid substitution treatment
- What drugs are permitted for substitution treatment in the countries?
- Who can prescribe them? Who can dispense them?
- How are the drugs and the patients monitored? Can they be taken home?
- What happens if the patient fails a urine test?
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Penalties for precursor offences
- Are the penalties the same as for drug trafficking offences?
- What happens if there is just a breach of labelling requirements?
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Controlled deliveries
- If law enforcement officers want to watch a controlled delivery of drugs through the territory, who can authorise it?
- What are the necessary requirements for authorisation?
- Do the same laws apply to other illicit goods?
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Legal Framework of Needle and Syringe Programmes
- Are these programmes legal?
- Can they be considered as facilitating drug use?
- How do the police react?
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Supplying illicit drugs for medical purposes
- Is substitution treatment in breach of the international Conventions against drugs?
- What are the legal bases for methadone prescription?
- Is prescribing heroin for medical purposes against international law?
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Threshold quantities for possession and supply offences
- Who defines a threshold quantity?
- How much is a small, or large, quantity of a drug?
- How do quantities vary between different drugs?
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