Soccer fans might endure more than they bargained for this summer in Russia.
Foreign visitors attending the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will be allowed to bring drugs into the country and into stadiums legally, Russia’s 2018 World Cup Organizing Committee announced Tuesday in a statement. The Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union allows visitors to possess cocaine, codeine, morphine, amphetamines and cannabis as long as they declare them at customs and show prescriptions for their use.
“Security officers will monitor the enforcement of rules for carrying prescription drugs to stadium grounds at checkpoints,” the Russia World Cup organizing committee said, per Newsweek’s Benjamin Fearnow, “The transfer and movement of drugs into the region falls under a November 2015 decision from the Eurasian Economic Commission (ECE). Under these regulations, travelers can bring a limited amount of drugs into EAPC countries only when accompanied with ‘supporting medical documents indicating the name and quantity of goods.'”
Although you flippantly might ask “what could go wrong?,” the loophole doesn’t mean the millions of traveling fans will be able to do what they want during World Cup games. Russia’s spectator-conduct laws will remain in effect in the 11 host cities.
The tournament won’t begin until June 14, but things already are getting weird in the latest edition of world’s biggest sporting event.
