UAE's Noteworthy Law: No More Jail For Those Bringing Cannabis Inside Borders

The United Arab Emirates had one of the harshest drug laws in the world until the country decided to ease restrictions for travellers who arrive in the country with THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the main intoxicating chemical in cannabis. As published in the official gazette, the new law mentions that people carrying food, drinks, and other items with cannabis into the country will no longer land in prison if it's their first time. However, the officials would be authorized to confiscate and destroy the products.

What Charges For Drug Offences?

The law is a noteworthy change for the UAE, which previously had one of the world's most restrictive consequences for importing common drugs for personal use, ranging from cannabis to over-the-counter medications like narcotics, sedatives and amphetamines. Nonetheless, the country still strictly prohibits the sale and trafficking of drugs, with drug use punishable by four years in jail. Other charges for drug offences include reducing minimum sentences from two years to three months for first-time drug offenders and offering convicts rehabilitation at a detention facility separate from other felons, The Indian Express reported.

UAE Celebrates 50 Years Of Founding

Previously, foreign nationals who imported drugs were imported to their countries of origin. However, the new law leaves the decision on the judge regarding deportation. The UAE celebrates 50 years since its founding and is continuously working to improve its image on the global front as a cosmopolitan hub to attract tourists and investors. For many decades, the country has been functioning strictly according to Islamic law. It has often landed ex-pats and foreigners in jail for offences many in the West do not consider as crimes.

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