Comparative analysis of contemporary national drug policies in Belarus, Georgia and Russia

Over the past five decades there’s been a shift in the public perception of the drug problem. Conducted research and reports from international NGOs declare the failure of the global war on drugs and call for immediate changes in national and global drug control policies. In the 21st century a successful drug policy is considered to be a hallmark of the state that utilizes good governance. With so many examples existing around the globe, ranging from the most liberal like in the Netherlands to the most prohibitive and restrictive like in the Philippines under president Duterte, this master thesis will turn specifically to the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia narrowing it down to Russia, Belarus and Georgia. Such selection is due to the different approaches to the national drug policies that exist in the former Soviet countries. While Georgia might show signs of inclination towards more liberal approach with the decriminalization of cannabis consumption and opioid substitution therapy (OST) programs, Belarus remains more conservative at the same time enabling the latter. Russia chooses to ban OST with the overall drug policy inclining in the direction of prohibition and strict punishment. The thesis aims to focus on the causes for such contrasting decision-making processes in the countries that used to belong to the same polity merely two decades ago.