Faroese government proposes taking control of drug policy

Drug policy would come under Faroese jurisdiction under a proposal by Prime Minister Beinir Johannesen, broadcaster KVF reports. The legislation is scheduled to take effect on January 1 next year if approved.

The area is currently administered and largely funded by Faroese authorities, but it remains a shared responsibility. Approval would allow Faroese authorities to regulate drug policy through legislation passed by the Løgting, the Faroese parliament.

The proposal says this would give the authorities better opportunities to organise this part of the health service in accordance with specific Faroese conditions.

Johannesen said it was essential that new psychoactive substances be added quickly to the list of substances permitted only for medical and scientific purposes. Because the area is currently a shared responsibility, changing the regulation to include new substances on the list takes a long time.

The Ministry of Health and Energy said that transferring responsibility would make it easier and faster to update the existing regulation on psychoactive substances.

At the same time as the prime minister presented the proposal to take over drug policy, Eyðdis Hartmann Niclasen presented a separate proposal on transferring authority when the area comes under Faroese control.