Debate: Which regime on marijuana regulation is best suited for Latvia?

Due to cannabis being the most used drug, the existence of black market and other issues related to public health and individual rights, some argue that the current way of regulating the substance, namely prohibition, does not work properly. Recently, some countries and states in the US decided to move from the existing status quo and apply alternative solutions such as decriminalization and legalization of cannabis for recreational and/or medical purposes. However, differences of opinion exist between the three legal regimes (prohibition, decriminalization, and legalization) as all of them have both positive and negative effects.

In Latvia, there have been several initiatives for the change of the regulation on cannabis, none of which was accepted. At the same time, in 2018 14.5% of 15-24-year-olds consumed cannabis in the country. This in turn only fuels the current debate on the best regime to be applied, so come and discover with us the arguments for and against these regimes in the Latvian context.

Participants:

• Krišjānis Lange - cannabis ambassador, activist. The administrator of medical cannabis legalization support group on Facebook for seven years. Holds a Master's degree in History.
• Romans Justs - the owner of salon "Alberta pīpes". International tobacco expert. Higher education, Director (Moscow).
• Inga Landsmane - Head of the Ambulatory Advisory Department of Riga Psychiatric and Narcology Centre, specialization - narcologist-psychiatrist.

Special guest - Jude Pecora, Advisor to the Canadian Embassy

The debate is organized in partnership with the Embassy of Canada to Latvia and social organization "Legalize Latvia" as a special guest.