Decree-Law 15/93

Decree-Law n. 15/93
Government of Portugal
Long title The approval of the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, duly signed by Portugal and ratified.
Citation	1993, c. 234 - 252
Territorial extent	Portugal
Enacted by	Ministry of Justice
Enacted	12 November 1992
Assented to	21 December 1992
Signed by	Mário Soares
Commenced	22 February 1992
Amends
Rectification n. 20/93 Decree-Law n. 81/85 Law n. 45/96 Decree-Law n. 214/2000 Law n. 30/2000 Decree-Law n. 69/2001 Law n. 101/2001 Law n. 104/2001 Decree-Law n. 323/2001 Law n. 3/2003 Law n. 47/2003 Law n. 11/2004 Law n. 17/2004 Law n. 14/2005 Law n. 48/2007 Law n. 48/2007 Law n. 59/2007 Law n. 18/2009 Law n. 38/2009 Decree-Law n. 114/2011 Law n. 13/2012 Law n. 22/2014 Law n. 77/2014 Law n. 7/2017 Law n. 8/2019
Related legislation
Criminal Code
Summary
Revises drug law
Keywords
Drugs
Status: In force

The Decree-Law 15/93 of January 22 (Portuguese: Decreto-Lei n.º 15/93, de 22 de Janeiro) is a Portuguese drug control law implementing the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

It classifies substances into six categories, Table (Portuguese: Tabela) I through Table VI. Tables I and II are each further broken down into classes: A, B, and C.

This law was also the first that created the crime of money laundering in Portuguese law, and has been amended 25 times since 1993.

The introduction of the law, which is primarily aimed at controlling drug trafficking, says that although the use of drugs is socially censurable, that "does not prevent drug addicts from being seen in the first place as persons who are in need of medical assistance" who should receive care. Thus, "drug consumers are presently legally punishable in an almost symbolic fashion" that encourages treatment.

While drug use is illegal in Portugal, the law's introduction notes of occasional drug users: "it is necessary above all to avoid them being labelled, marginalised, pushed into an impasse or towards avenues whose only way out is drugs." However, the Portuguese government condemned the Dutch pragmatic policy, well known for its absence of user punishment.

Drug trafficking is punished with very harsh sentences; in the most severe cases, it can be punished by 10 years to 25 years of imprisonment.

Table I

Class A

Class B

• Coca in all forms and all derivatives including:
  • Cocaine or Crack cocaine
  • Ecgonine (and all derivatives of ecgonine)

Class C

• Cannabis and all derivatives in any form, including tetrahydrocannabinol, but excepting cannabinol

Table II

Class A

Class B

Class C

Table III

Table III includes special preparations which may include limited amounts of any of the controlled drugs listed under Tables I and II.

Table IV

Table V and VI

Tables V and VI comprise precursor substances (and salts thereof) which may be used to manufacture drugs listed under Tables I and II.

Table V

Table VI

See also

• Drug policy
• Drug prohibition law
• Illegal drug trade

External links

• Classification of Controlled Drugs
• Full text of the law at the Diário da República Eletrónico