Home of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, ends traveler jail time on THC

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has eased some of its strict drug laws and eased penalties for tourists entering the country with THC-fortified products. The new protocol for Dubai travelers is to seize and destroy cannabis products rather than impose hard times.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, announced the new changes on November 27th. As part of a series of far-reaching changes, those convicted of drug offenses will be able to serve temporarily in safe custody and provide treatment and education instead of prison time. In addition, deportation is no longer compulsory for non-nationals in cases of drug use and possession.

Until recently, drug possession was not tolerated in any way in the United Arab Emirates. Carrying residual amounts of drugs – including cannabis – could land you in jail for years. Five years ago, the minimum sentence for drug offenses was four years. The High Times routinely called it one of the worst countries with some of the “strictest weed laws”.

But the nation has updated its outdated laws. The new legislation was presented in the Official Journal. You can download the current edition of the Official Journal here. First-time offenders are given a minimum sentence of three months as part of a new approach that reintegrates “drug users” into society, but also imposes tougher penalties for serial offenders.

The Official Gazette is a regular publication published by the Government of Dubai through the Supreme Legislation Committee (SLC). According to the government’s website, it contains all of the laws issued by the Dubai government, including statutes, decrees, resolutions, regulations, bylaws, instructions and orders.

Carrying food, drink or any other cannabis-infused product will no longer be a criminal offense. Instead, such items are simply confiscated and destroyed. The United Arab Emirates reduced the minimum sentences for cannabis from four to two years in 2016.

The National News, which covers the UAE, announced that the new laws will go into effect Jan. 2, requiring a combined jail term and fine, ”said Dr. Hasan Elhais of Al Rowaad Advocates told National News.

“We can clearly see the need for a coordinated approach that takes into account the criminal justice and public health aspects of drug use,” said Dr. Elhais. “While justice is at the heart of the new law, we can also see drug use being viewed as a disease rather than a crime.”

Americans in Dubai

Americans usually get caught up in cultural conflicts in the United Arab Emirates: For example, it is illegal to say “Fuck” in public or to take photos of people without their permission. The same applies to the penalty for cannabis.

Last April, American Peter Clark was in legal danger for testing positive for cannabinoids even though he was consuming it in the United States. The website “Detained in Dubai”, a group founded by Radha Stirling, claims to have “helped thousands of victims of injustice over the past 10 years”.

It was there that High Times learned about the Clark case, who learned the hard way that Dubai doesn’t mess around with cannabis. Unfortunately, this was before the country’s law was updated.

“I was absolutely stunned to learn that I was charged with the remains of marijuana in my system. I smoked it legally in America long before I even got on a plane, ”he told the Daily Mail. “I knew about Dubai’s strict drug laws, but I never thought that something I did legally in my own country would lead to my arrest.”

With the nation’s new drug laws, it is clear that times have changed.