Drugreporter has for some time now been hearing rumours of the possible decriminalisation of drug use in Slovakia. Unlike the Czech Republic (the country with which it was previously joined, famous for its liberal drug policy) this central-European country has until now remained one of the shrinking number of EU countries which punish simple drug possession with imprisonment.

Even though Macedonia has decriminalised the possession of drugs for personal use, there remain many anomalies in the related regulations. Read our guest author's insights on what has to be done to make the country's laws serve the best interests of public health.

In 1976, the Netherlands separated the cannabis market from the market in other illicit drugs, and allowed coffee shops to sell small amounts of cannabis to adults in a controlled environment. Our new movie, supplementing the report of the Open Society Foundation, tells the story of the Dutch model and highlights its successes, as well as the challenges ahead of it.

Regulated medical marijuana has come out of the blue as a feasible alternative in Serbia, where overwhelming public support favours regulating hemp-based medicines. The promised draft law is still awaited, however, and will then require the approval of the national parliament.

This year, the Romanian drug law was amended in the direction of decriminalisation, though the law still retains imprisonment and fines as an option, while penalties generally discriminate against the poor and socially disadvantaged.

Poland’s Constitutional Court recently concluded, in a legally binding ruling, that the county’s drug law needs to be amended. Find out why!

Bulgarian society seems to be in a state of apathy when it comes to decriminalisation of drug use. Neither a so-called “reform” of the drugs law (making it harsher than ever), nor an outrageous fine for the pro-legalisation Green party, was a loud enough wake-up call for Bulgaria to distance itself from the current punishment-based approach. Read the guest article from human rights expert journalist Krassen Nikolov.

You still have time until the second half of November to sign the petition for EU-wide marijuana legalisation. The Weed like to talk initiative aims to make the European Union adopt a common policy on the control and regulation of cannabis production, use and sale.

At the end of March, the court in the Bulgarian city of Lovech found Marin Kalchev not guilty. He is a 31-year-old multiple sclerosis patient, who uses marijuana extract to manage the negative symptoms of his chronic disease.

There is a growing debate on how to control new psychoactive substances (legal highs) in New Zealand. We traveled there to give you an insight into the innovative policy introduced by the government last year – please watch & share our new movie!