 American WNBA superstar and Olympian, Brittney Griner is still detained in Russia over a few grams of Cannabis Oil cartridges for a vape pen. Griner was arrested at the international airport in Moscow on February 24th, just before Russia attacked the Ukraine. She will be there until at least May 19th, but could be facing as much as 10 years in jail for the few grams of cannabis oil.
Griner’s case is a reminder that not all countries are progressive in their understanding of this beneficial plant. Possession of cannabis in some countries can result in many years in jail, and in some cases, the death penalty. Just last year, a 24-year old British football coach was arrested in the United Arab Emirates after four small bottles of CBD vape oil were found in his car. The CBD oil contained traces of THC which is illegal in the United Arab Emirates. He was charged with trafficking and given a 25-year sentence which was later reduced to 10 years on appeal. And that was just for CBD. The use and possession of cannabis in Saudi Arabia could cost you up to six months in prison and corporal punishment. Cannabis trafficking can cost you from 2 to 10 years in prison. And, the illegal sale of large quantities could lead to death penalty, although it is rare. Cannabis is widely consumed in Egypt, despite it being illegal. Penalties for possession can be severe and you can face up to one year of prison plus a fine. Trafficking is punished with death, and has been as recently as 2013 on a 74-year-old British citizen. In Singapore you could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 20,000 just for for possession. Trafficking, importing, or exporting more than 500 grams could cost you the death penalty. A 41-year old man was sentenced to death last year after being convicted of bringing at least two pounds (around one kilogram) of cannabis into Singapore in 2018. In Malaysia, medical cannabis is legal. However, anyone in possession of 7 ounces of cannabis is considered a drug trafficker and sentenced to death, and their local news have reported on several of these in the last few years. Just last September of 2021, a man was executed by hanging for possession of 10.5 ounces of cannabis. Smaller amounts of cannabis possession can result in up to 10 years in jail. According to a report, between 2008 and 2018, the Iranian government executed an average of 380 people per year for individuals who had committed a crime related to possession or sale of drugs. The data didn’t specify how many were related to cannabis. There are even more countries with the death penalty for cannabis crimes in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia but they seem to be more rate, and the data is not clear. Suffice to say, leave the cannabis at home when traveling internationally. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2022/03/30/you-can-risk-death-penalty-for-cannabis-in-these-countries/ Comments are closed.
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