Justice Minister Mohammed Al-Eissa has eased punishment for drug-related offenses, including possession, and will leave sentencing for such crimes to the discretion of the Kingdom’s judges.

Punishments, he said, should remain within the limits set by existing anti-drug legal provisions.

Al-Eissa had issued a circular to courts with the new decision, stating that sentencing should not exceed existing maximum sentences for these crimes.

The supreme court, however, had previously submitted a study highlighting applicability problems in drug-related legal provisions, which state that drug-related crimes are punishable through sentencing equal to half of that of a regular crime.

However, terms for full-fledged crimes fail to be defined in subsequent paragraphs, indicating ambiguity over drug sentencing, said the study.

Bandar Al-Bashir, a lawyer, said certain drug-related crimes, such as selling fake drugs, can be considered premeditated and merit more severe punishment than personal drug use.

Current provisions state that middlemen can face a 10-year prison term and a SR50,000 fine in accordance with Article 58 of the anti-drug law.