MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he absolutely opposed legalization of soft drugs in Russia.

In reply to the question whether Russia will legalize cannabis, he said, “No.” “Cannabis as a derivative for agriculture, for fabric can be used, but not as soft drug, I am categorically against it.”

The sense of legalization of soft drugs in some countries was to distract people from hard ones.

“Practice proves that this does not happen,” Putin said. “On the contrary, this is the first step to hard drugs and to heavy dependence. We do not need to do this.”

BANGKOK, April 09. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian citizen Yuriy Semyonov, who was accused of drug-related crimes in Russia, has been deported from Thailand convoyed by officers of the Russian Interpol Bureau on Wednesday, the consular department of Russian Embassy in Thailand told ITAR-TASS.

Semyonov was detained on the second largest Thai island of Samui back in last March. “Local law enforcement agencies detained him at Russian request in co-operation with Russian Embassy,” the consular department said.

The detainee is accused in Russia of involvement in an organised criminal group that sold synthetic marijuana, the Interpol Bureau in Thailand said. After the accusation was brought against him he was escaping justice in Thailand.

But scientists say the plan has ended in failure due to soil and climatic conditions in the Siberian republic of Buryatia. The Anti-Drug Commission of Buryatia admitted that the neutral hemp became strongly narcotic in the 3 hectare experiment. 

'We planted seeds of various types, with and without fertilisers,' said Nimazhap Badmayev, a scientist involved in the project. 'Our climate is extremely continental, with low precipitation. So the plant adapts itself to our dry climate by increasing the concentration of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).