Marijuana culture in other countries no excuse for breaking China's drug laws

IN A REPORT ON DRUG CONTROL in China last year, the China National Narcotic Control Committee points out that after Canada and some states of the United States legalized marijuana, the amount of marijuana smuggled from North America to China has increased. China Youth Daily comments:

According to the report, China intercepted postal packages containing a total of 55 kilograms of marijuana and marijuana products in 125 cases, and most of the criminal suspects are foreign students studying in China, Chinese returnees and Chinese working overseas.

The United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances classifies marijuana as a narcotic, and all relevant Chinese laws and regulations on psychotropic substances, narcotics and drugs have strict rules on the supply, transportation and production of marijuana. China's Criminal Law clearly classifies marijuana as an illicit drug, in the same category as opium, heroin, smokable methamphetamine, morphine and cocaine.

Generally speaking, all expats should abide by the laws of the country in which they reside. It is ridiculous that some foreigners bark at the moon citing their homeland's laws as a talisman for their transportation, sales and consumption of marijuana and related products in China. Anyone who smokes, produces, transports, supplies, or illegally possess marijuana in China, be they Chinese or foreigners, will be committing a crime and thus be subject to the punishments sanctioned by China's laws.

That some countries have legalized the marijuana is in fact a difficult decision made after they failed to control the widespread use of the drug, and an effort to better control and supervise the use of the drug. To legalize marijuana is by no means to encourage its use.

A strict control on drugs is in line with the fundamental interests of the people and the nation. Society should be vigilant to the rise of the so-called marijuana culture, which has become popular in some circles because of some foreign countries' legalization of marijuana. The public should take the initiative to fight against drugs, including marijuana, and saying no to drugs should be a consensus of the whole society.

(China Daily Global 07/03/2019 page11)