Govt given two days to retable Narcotic drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act

By Francis Lubega

16^th May 2023

The government has been given up to Thursday this week to retable the Narcotic drugs and Psychotropic Substance Control Act 2016 which was nullified by the constitutional court two weeks ago.

This was after the government through the Attorney General Kilyowa Kiwanuka objected to the move according it to a private member’s bill that was going to be tabled by Bugiri Municipality Asuman Basalirwa and Aruu County MP Christopher Komakech.

The Attorney General Kiwanuka argued saying that initially the bill was moved by the government and it would be fair enough to allow the government to re-table it instead of giving it to a private member.

On 5^th May, the Constitutional Court in Kampala nullified the entire Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act of 2016 on grounds that it was passed without the required quorum in Parliament.

This law had prohibited the use of several drugs, including cannabis, bush cocoa, and mairungi, as they contain cathinone and cathine, substances that are known to have side effects such as increased blood pressure, euphoria and elation with feelings of alertness and arousal.

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