Russian National Guard to be vested with authority to guard all domestic cannabis and opium poppy crops

Russia’s National Guard has prepared draft documents that would transfer all authority to guard crops of narcotic plants to its agents. The documents indicate that the National Guard would negotiate agreements with farmers to guard fields of plants like cannabis and opium poppies intended for medical, scientific, or educational purposes. Guards within the government agencies that control poppy and cannabis cultivation will also be permitted to provide security for those crops. Private security companies will only be allowed to guard poppy fields that are not intended for opium production. The new plan follows the recent passage of a law permitting the domestic cultivation of narcotic plants for a range of non-recreational purposes.