Mindaugas Lankauskas’s scientific contributions

Drug distribution is considered one of the most serious crimes in general and the most serious drug offense in particular. Drug distribution may cover behavior of very different levels of seriousness, ranging from the social supply of small quantities of illicit drugs in friend circles to international drug trafficking organized by powerful global crime syndicates. The article explores the criminological contexts of less serious drug distribution and penal frameworks of the relevant countries in the Baltic region. The article argues for a more nuanced penal approach to such offenses in the Lithuanian penal law.

This article delves into the legal framework concerning threshold quantities for drug offences in Lithuania and examines the potential implications of this regulation on criminal liability. It initiates by scrutinizing criminal liability for drug offences in Lithuania, with an emphasis on the legal significance of the type and quantity of specific substances. It is worth noting that existing legal acts lack defined criteria for determining small, large, or very large quantities of the narcotic and psychotropic substances. Nevertheless, the legal qualification of criminal activities and associated penalties is contingent upon the specific quantity of the drug. Furthermore, certain quantities stipulated in the Recommendations for determining small, large, and very large quantities of narcotic and psychotropic substances have raised concerns about their alignment with the latest scientific findings and empirical evidence. In light of these concerns, there is a compelling need for a review of these recommendations, guided by clearly defined and evidence-based criteria. Until such a review is conducted, the deficiencies in the existing legal regulations could be partially mitigated if courts, within the discretion granted to them, proactively exceed the quantity limits established by the recommendations.