United Arab Emirates
Asia
#187 of 196 worldwide
#40 of 48 in Asia
A 2022 reform softened first-offence penalties (minimum three months or a fine) and made deportation discretionary, but it remains one of the strictest regimes — including for CBD and trace amounts.
Score breakdown ▏world average
Select a segment to show or hide the exact rules and sources.
Possession · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Under Federal Decree-Law 30 of 2021, a first offence of possessing or using cannabis for personal use carries at least three months in prison or a fine of AED 10,000–100,000 — a softening from the previous mandatory four years. Repeat offences bring longer mandatory terms. Trace amounts, including residue or metabolites in the body, are enough.
Personal cultivation · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Cultivation is a serious crime with long prison terms.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10adds 2.0 of 20 points
Still one of the strictest regimes, though the 2021 law added fines and rehabilitation as alternatives for first offences. A 2024 rule lets non-residents caught at ports of entry with personal-use amounts pay a fine of AED 5,000–20,000.
Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Supply is trafficking, with sentences up to life.
Consumption · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Use is an offence proved by blood or urine test, on the same terms as possession. Courts can order treatment for first offenders.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
More context not part of the score
None. CBD and hemp products count as cannabis. A first-time visitor found with food or products containing THC or CBD at the border may have them confiscated without prosecution; inside the country possession is a crime.
Deportation of foreigners after a drug conviction, once mandatory, is now at the court's discretion for first-time personal-use offences.
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