Premier Wen Jiabao has signed an order for the promulgation of
Regulation on Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, which will take
effect on November 1, 2005.
The regulation aims to beef up control over narcotic and
psychotropic drugs, ensure the legal, safe and appropriate usage of
narcotic and psychotropic drugs and curb them from illegal
distribution channels.
Issued in 89 articles of nine chapters, the regulation covers
planting, laboratory research, production, distribution, usage,
storage, transportation, registration and supervision of narcotic
and psychotropic drugs, and legal penalties of violation.
According to the regulation, the state bans any social unit or
individual from planting, laboratory research, production,
distribution, usage, storage and transportation of narcotic and
psychotropic drugs.
The state administration on drug supervision will set annual
production plans of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, and the state
agricultural administration will set annual planting plans in
compliance with the production plans.
Those enterprises allowed to produce and plant narcotic and
psychotropic drugs must report to the relevant local and state
departments on a regular basis.
The state administration on drug supervision will set the number
and allocation of production enterprises of narcotic and
psychotropic drugs in accordance with demands and make adjustment
every year.
Meanwhile, the new regulation still, as always, prohibits retail
sales of narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs listed in Class 1,
and retail sales of psychotropic drugs listed in Class 2 to
minors.
The regulation also stipulates that clinical experiment of
narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs listed in Class 1 cannot be
done on healthy people, and sending narcotic and psychotropic drugs
by post requires permits from local drug supervision
departments.
(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2005)