GOVERNMENT OF TAJIKISTAN DEMARCHED ON CND VOTE ON

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000301 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INL/PC CHRISTINE CLINE AND KATHLEEN PALA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC SNAR UNCND TI SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF TAJIKISTAN DEMARCHED ON CND VOTE ON DRONABINOL REF: A. SECSTATE 17100 B. STATE 196365 ¶1. Embassy International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Officer and Senior Law Enforcement Advisor delivered demarche regarding the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs upcoming vote on dronabinol (REF A) to the Head of the Tajik Drug Control Agency, General Rustam Nazarov, on 21 February . The Drug Control Agency is the lead agency on counternarcotics issues in Tajikistan. Nazarov was unaware of the impending vote and was not familiar with dronabinol. Embassy representatives explained that dronabinol was a derivative of cannabis - essentially a form of THC - and clarified that we wished to put off the vote to loosen global controls on the substance as the World Health Organization had proposed. EmbOffs agreed to provide the Drug Control Agency additional information on dronabinol and the issues presented by the WHO. Nazarov appreciated the information and the "heads up" on the future vote and explained that, as a general rule, the Government of Tajikistan does not favor loosening controls on derivatives of illegal drugs unless there is concrete data to support that it is safe to do so. ¶2. Any questions regarding the Tajik vote on dronabinol should be directed to Embassy point of contact for this issue, INL Officer Ranjeet Singh at singhrk@state.gov. JACOBSON