Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Says Cannabis Should Be Legalized

Alen Roberti Simonyan has been President of the National Assembly of Armenia since August 2021. During his recent participation in the Deep TALKS program, Mr. Simonyan expressed support for modernizing Armenia’s cannabis laws.

“Today the world is unable to fight marijuana, and that is why it is on the path of legalization to take it under control,” Alen Roberti Simonyan stated, according to original reporting by News.am.

“He explained that he does not initiate the legalization process, as he “knows that he will not be able to convince people.”” the outlet also reported. Currently, cannabis is prohibited in Armenia. Individuals caught with cannabis face stiff penalties.

According to the European Union Drugs Agency’s database listing for drug laws and penalties in Armenia, “Using drugs without a doctor’s prescription may be punished by an administrative fine of 100-200 times the minimum wage.” Certain cannabis offenses in Armenia can also result in potential prison sentences.

Cannabis is currently legal for adult use at a national level in Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and South Africa. Recreational cannabis is also legal for adults in two dozen states in the U.S., and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are operating in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Court decisions in multiple other countries afford some level of legal protection to adult cannabis consumers.

Dozens of countries around the world have adopted varying forms of medical cannabis legalization, ranging from cannabidiol-only medical cannabis models to fully legalized medical cannabis programs. Most countries around the globe permit industrial hemp.