Muna Al Fuzai

It is important for expatriates to know that while some Western countries are legalizing the use and sale of marijuana for personal use by individuals, users in the East can be executed or imprisoned for life. Police in Kuwait recently arrested an expat for cultivating and peddling marijuana. The Drug Control General Department said it received a tip about an expat growing marijuana in his private residence in Hawally.  A team of detectives was assigned to follow up the case and arrested the suspect, who confessed to the crime.

This was not the first incident of its kind. In 2010, the criminal court sentenced a Kuwaiti to death after accusing him of planting cannabis in his home in Qusour in Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate. Another incident occurred in Dubai, where police arrested a 48-year-old Emirati last year for planting marijuana seedlings in a residential villa. He even set up the right atmosphere, using multiple equipment and techniques. So be careful!

The world today is confused over how to deal with the phenomenon of drug proliferation and demand. Some countries have decided to be more lenient about it, while others have hardened their positions. Everyone has their own reasons and motives. Those who decided to legalize marijuana believe that when the government authorities tightened and criminalized the issue, they turned it into a trade, and therefore a number of countries have passed legislation to approve it. The aim of this law is to take control away from criminal gangs and to ensure state supervision of the users.

An example of this is Uruguay, which licensed marijuana in 2013. Some US states have allowed the use of marijuana, particularly in Colorado, Michigan and Maine, while it is banned in other states. Some countries have adopted a policy not to consider marijuana use a crime, like Argentina, which allows personal use of marijuana in small quantities.

In one report, Amnesty International noted the difference between Western and Eastern countries towards drug control at a time when the value of drugs circulating worldwide is estimated at $380 billion annually. It is a financial trade, so it is natural that every country is taking a different position towards it.

It is clear that the countries that urge fighting against the spread of drugs have logical reasons and an understanding of their culture and people, who may use the drugs excessively if legalized to become a threat to their societies, especially the youth. It also has a possible negative impact on social, health, mental and psychological activities, in addition to major developmental damage. All Gulf countries do not allow or tolerate any kind of drug use or trafficking, so be careful, if you want to save your neck and avoid spending many years in prison.

By Muna Al-Fuzai

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