Cambodia News, (Phnom Penh): On the morning of April 4, 2023, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of Appeal heard the appeal of two cousins sentenced by the lower court to 4 years imprisonment for drug trafficking committed in Khan Sen Sok, Phnom Penh during 2022.

Ms. Tith Sothy Boralak, President of the Trial Chamber, stated that the two accused were: 1. Muth Phea, male, 19 years old. 2- Chhaya, male, 24 years old. When the pair were arrested on January 19, 2022 in Phnom Penh's Sen Sok district, the police searched them and seized 2 packets of "ice" (methamphetamine) weighing 12.23 grams.

In 2022, the two defendants were sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to 4 years imprisonment and fined 5 million riel each, for Illegal drug trafficking under Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control.
In this case, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of Appeal have postponed the announcement of the verdict until the morning of April 28, 2023.

Uff, that's a hefty sentence for 12 grams and two very young guys. I guess if you are an addict that's not really a huge amount as well.

Typical dumb cop / government logic:
"Ice will ruin your life so if I catch you with it I will send you to jail and ruin your life."

What would you recommend a government that spends next to nothing on mental health and drug addiction do?

Mandatory supervised death by drug overdose?

(Sorry, tongue in cheek)

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 3:54 pm What would you recommend a government that spends next to nothing on mental health and drug addiction do?

Mandatory supervised death by drug overdose?

(Sorry, tongue in cheek)

Smuggling and big time dealing are written on another page... but for personal consumption amounts, or slightly more, first offenders, and especially young (and often naive) people I would give no or a very very small punishment, like a fine or community service..

The west is literally starting to do this right now. See Portugal, Netherlands, czech Republic, Canada, I think even a city/state in USA did the same already (for personal consumption amounts).

These guys are not root of the problem, they are victims of the problem. With 4 years stolen from your youth even more so.

I am really no advocate for very hard drugs like ice but gosh, with 12 grams I don't see a huge damage/crime done... at least none that would be worth locking two youngsters up for 4 years

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 5:07 pm Guess these guys had no one to "assist" with reducing the charge

wife's step brother, (23) busted in Kep in 2022 for what they said was Transporting ice<
caught 3 others same time, they all gave up names, he wouldn't
Nope, they didn't find any drugs on him or in his house> but had been following him
sentenced to 5 years, (the others walked)
they offered him 6 months for $10,000
to much
ok $5,000 for 1 year<ok....just got out last week

Ahhhh Cambodia

Don't do drugs kids

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 3:54 pm What would you recommend a government that spends next to nothing on mental health and drug addiction do?

Mandatory supervised death by drug overdose?

(Sorry, tongue in cheek)

How about, spend more on mental health and drug addiction,treating it as a sickness rather than a crime?

Pseudonomdeplume wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 6:28 pm

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 3:54 pm What would you recommend a government that spends next to nothing on mental health and drug addiction do?

Mandatory supervised death by drug overdose?

(Sorry, tongue in cheek)

How about, spend more on mental health and drug addiction,treating it as a sickness rather than a crime?

As long as the big man also goes on Duterte mode with the foreign people involved into mass production of chinese tea in Cambodia for a while....then why not...

Pseudonomdeplume wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 6:28 pm

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 3:54 pm What would you recommend a government that spends next to nothing on mental health and drug addiction do?

Mandatory supervised death by drug overdose?

(Sorry, tongue in cheek)

How about, spend more on mental health and drug addiction,treating it as a sickness rather than a crime?

Haha... nice one! Could be actually that easy

Offering help to those who want help... some maybe even don't need it... alcohol is addictive and destructive, so is cocaine.. I actually know plenty of people who drink regularly or do coke and have no problematic consumption pattern. Why not just let them be?

I did a fair amount of ecstasy in my early twenties. Had a lot of fun, great parties, and bad comedowns and pill hangovers. Becoming older and these awful depression hangovers had me lose interest in doing it at all over the years. It makes me feel unwell just looking at it these days. When some friends still do it I am not remotely interested in partaking dosing but nonetheless I'll drink and "party" with them. I had my fun and regret nothing. Why lock people up for it?

Drug education is actually working wonders! Rave parties I went to did a great job as well for information but also do things like drug checking and pill warnings... drugs like heroin are really coming out of trend and ice actually never became a big trend in germany.. I think that is because of drug education and that people are aware of the dangers and unproportional dangers especially on those two drugs.

I am actually really curious how the huge ice problem in SE Asia could be addressed and tackled.

As drug treatment actually says there is no substitute to meth - I would be really interested if it couldn't be substituted with amphetamine (adderall in us). Same like heroin addicts in Switzerland are substituted with morphine pills. Germany even gives pharma heroin to hard-core junkies. They will live healthy, are off the street dealers, no need to steel anymore, no needles lying around on the streets...

You see - there are many innovative and progressive approaches in tackling the issue. Locking up the tiniest actor in the game - the end user - is definitely none of them.

It is actually a ignorant, irrational and dehumanizing way. Like witch burning or the sheep voters for Nixon, who declared war on drugs, upon industry interests and motives to have reasons to lock up hippies, war protesters and black people. Thinking that alcohol and nicotine is the way to go for the rest of humanity is as dumb as saying we must use old Nokia phones because smart phones can be abused for criminal / bad actions as well. Science actually starts to recognize psychedelics like mdma, lsd, ketamine and mushrooms as groundbreaking depression treatment, as one dose helps for a long period of time if used in a therapy,instead of common ssris that mechanically boost your happy hormones when you take them, but also stop doing that if you stop them

Had a few beers and I am bored on the train haha...