United Arab Emirates implement cannabis criminal justice reform on January 2, 2022

2022 definitely looks like going to be a good year for cannabis reforms around the world. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) have refused to be left behind in this race to decriminalize cannabis.

The United Arab Emirates are mainly dominated by a Muslim population. Therefore, the use of products that can change your thinking is prohibited. Since the country was founded decades ago, the rate of cannabis use has been low, not just for cannabis but for all psychoactive substances. The United Arab Emirates is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. It is impressive that the government is implementing progressive measures like these to encourage more tourists to visit the country and boost its economy.

On January 2, the United Arab Emirates will implement its new cannabis criminal justice reform, which will allow first-time drug offenses to be released with a warning or with reduced sentences. Tourists and international travelers caught in possession of high THC cannabis products will continue to face fines. But compared to the previous policy, the changed rates are more reasonable.

Cannabis is an illegal substance in the United Arab Emirates. Federal Law No. 14 states that cannabis may not be brought, transported, processed, owned or used within the country’s borders.

All seven of the country’s emirate states adhere to the same drug laws. From Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Quwain, Sharjah and Ajman, all of these states persecute foreigners arrested for possession and use of the prohibited substance.

The laws in the United Arab Emirates are no longer what they used to be. They have been called one of the toughest drug sentences in the world. Drug traffickers previously faced the death penalty from a firing squad. Now they are punished with prison terms of different lengths, depending on the gravity of their offense.

The country’s drug war is far from perfect, but the government is making efforts to introduce more progressive laws. Dr. Halem Fouad Ali, head of the United Nations Regional Office on Drugs and Crime, praised the country’s new strategy against drug use and trafficking.

All forms of marijuana are banned in the United Arab Emirates, whether or not they are used for medicinal purposes.

There is no active medical cannabis program in the United Arab Emirates.

Several years ago, travelers participating in medical cannabis programs in other countries were arrested in Dubai when a tiny amount of medical cannabis was discovered in the system. One such thing that made waves was about a British man named Connor Clements.

In addition, the country’s constitution also states that growing many marijuana seeds or saplings is illegal. Landowners who come across cannabis plants on their plots must report them to the relevant authorities or risk prosecution. The country’s government is focused on eliminating cannabis and its use within its borders.

The new policy was announced in the UAE official publication. If travelers were caught with products containing THC in the past, they were immediately imprisoned or partially deported to their countries of origin. Annually, security forces across the country arrest significant numbers of travelers with cannabis products such as food and drink. The new reforms stipulate that the products of these travelers will not be locked up, but rather confiscated. First-time offenders would receive severe warnings not to act.

These changes to the existing guidelines can be described as the most significant change in the country’s legislation. The number of cannabis-related arrests will decrease from January 2nd.

Instead of remaining imprisoned for two years as before, first-time offenders only serve a minimum sentence of less than six months. The convicts are also being held in a separate detention area from prisoners on non-cannabis-related charges. The inmates will be offered rehabilitation for the few months they will be detained in the correctional facility.

Another critical aspect of the not-yet-widespread reforms is that the decision to report non-nationals or residents in their home countries is left to the court. The judge will decide whether the foreigner found in possession of cannabis or its THC-containing by-products deserves to be expelled or to stay within the country’s borders. The United Arab Emirates had tough laws that said tourists and travelers found with drugs must be automatically deported.

Under the criminal law reform, criminals who commit the same cannabis crimes within three years must spend at least six months in prison for possession of cannabis products. The third perpetrator faces a prison sentence of at least two years.

While speaking with the national media on the matter, Dubai Civil Court’s chief judge Ahmed Ibrahim announced that the recent changes are in line with the country’s principles. Saif, who also served as a former chief judge in Dubai’s criminal courts, added that the simple judgments are the country’s way of giving criminals a much-needed second chance. In contrast to the past, when criminals were deported immediately and their chances of returning to the country decimated, the perpetrators have now increased the loss of a decent future in the country. However, the reforms did not give way to the existing penalties for drug trafficking. The perpetrators face at least five years in federal prison in the country.

These reforms have been a long time coming. Over the past twelve months the government has implemented many reforms in various sectors of the country. In November 2020, the government decriminalized suicide attempts and improved women’s rights in the country. It also changed the rules on alcohol consumption.

Several analysts claim that these reforms were triggered by the country’s 50th anniversary. We can only hope these changes to cannabis law don’t end here. This should be nothing more than a stepping stone in the right direction to a fully decriminalized cannabis market.

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