In May 1996 the National Assembly approved changes to Article 135 of the Penal Law, banning opium production and raising the maximum drug-trafficking penalty from eight years to life. The report does not say whether cannabis penalties changed. The amendment was part of a wider anti-narcotics drive.[1]
Listed for context. No score change is recorded for Laos here.
References
- US Department of State — 1997 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, LaosMay 1996 Article 135 amendment; opium ban; trafficking maximum raised to life.
Checked. The date and the event were compared with a source that was read.