The 6 worst places in the world to get caught with cannabis

While a green wave sweeps the Western world, there are still some countries that have harsh penalties for cannabis possession. From prison time to beheadings, these are some of the countries you don't want to get caught with weed.

In recent years, the world has seen a general loosening of cannabis laws, concerning both medicinal and recreational use of the drug. Today, over 60 countries have legalised cannabis for medicinal purposes while, earlier this year, Germany finally introduced legislation to legalise recreational cannabis, becoming just the third country in the world to do so.

Cannabis reform has certainly come a long way. Yet, with all these promising developments, there remain a number of countries in which you would never want to be caught with cannabis. We’re taking a look at the 6 countries with the harshest cannabis laws.

Singapore

The Asian city-state of Singapore, with its 5.7 million citizens, is known for its modern architecture, spotless streets, and low crime rate. But it is also known for having some of the strictest drug laws in the world. In fact, Singapore is one of 34 countries (more of which will also be featured in this list) that retains the death penalty for drug-related offences – including offences concerning cannabis.

Classified as a Class A drug under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act, possession or consumption of cannabis could land you up to 10 years in prison a S$20,000 fine (around £11,500), or both. In some cases, corporal punishment in the form of caning may also be ordered. But the worst sentences are reserved for those trafficking cannabis.

Singaporean law permits the death penalty for those convicted of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis. One of the most recent incidences of the death penalty being passed for cannabis offences in Singapore was in 2023 with the execution of Tangaraju Suppiah, who had been found guilty of abetting the trafficking of around 1kg of cannabis.

Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been pushing to improve its global relations in recent years, having opened up to tourists in 2019. But the country’s ultra-conservative drug laws remain in place with the use and possession of cannabis (and any other recreational drug) being strictly illegal.

If caught in possession of cannabis for personal use, first-time offenders generally face one to six months in prison, with the potential addition of whippings. Dealing cannabis could yield a sentence of up to 10 years, again with whippings, while repeat offenders and traffickers could even face death by beheading.

While there may be some degree of leniency for foreign citizens (who are typically deported) it’s a good idea to steer away from cannabis altogether in this part of the world.

Malaysia

The cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis is strictly illegal in Malaysia. While being caught in possession of small amounts for personal use could land you five years in prison, a fine of up to RM20,000 (around £3,300), or both.

Cultivation of cannabis can see individuals facing a life sentence, and possession of more than 200g of cannabis will be presumed as trafficking in narcotics, for which, until July 2023, there was a mandatory death penalty if convicted. Even now, trafficking cannabis can earn you 30-40 years in prison and caning or the death penalty in Malaysia, depending on the judge passing the sentence.

In recent years, Malaysian lawmakers have made moves to reassess certain aspects of the country’s medical cannabis laws. Prompted by the public outcry over the death penalty imposed on a man who had sold cannabis oils to the sick, Malaysian lawmakers have vowed to reassess their approach to medical cannabis. Still, Malaysia’s cannabis laws remain among the harshest in the world.

Brunei Darussalam

Brunei is a tiny island nation located on the majority-Malaysian island of Borneo in the South China Sea. The country’s legislation is controlled by a sultanate and is strongly based on Sharia-Islamic beliefs. While cannabis is the second-most used drug in Brunei (after methamphetamine), penalties are extremely harsh.

The use and possession of cannabis can lead to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison in addition to a hefty fine (approx. £14,500). Cannabis trafficking, possession with intent to traffick, or import/export of cannabis can even result in a death sentence, depending on the quantity of the drug.

Indonesia

Indonesia is known for its ancient temples, stunning beaches – oh, and some of the harshest drug laws in the world. Under the country’s 2009 Narcotics Law, cannabis is listed as a type-1 narcotic (the most restrictive category), alongside opium, cocaine, and methamphetamine. This classification means cannabis is also forbidden for medicinal use.

Possession of cannabis can land offenders with a prison sentence of up to 12 years and a Rp 8 billion (approximately £380,000) fine. Harsher penalties are also handed out for producing, exporting, importing, and distributing cannabis (up to 15 years imprisonment and a Rp 10 billion fine (approx. £479,000).

While calls for cannabis reforms are on the rise in Indonesia, it seems they have so far fallen on deaf ears in the government.

China

China is one of the world’s largest producers of industrial hemp – low-THC cannabis plants that have traditionally been used to manufacture clothing, building materials, and other commodities. However the use of cannabis for recreational purposes is strictly illegal in the country, and penalties can be extreme.

In many cases, cannabis is not distinguished from other narcotics, including heroin and cocaine. Possession, use, and distribution of cannabis for any reason can attract prison time, the length of which will vary depending on the amount in question. However, much is unknown about China’s approach to drug control, due to the secretive nature of the Chinese government.

Some reports indicate that travellers who test positive for cannabis use, even if the drug was consumed outside the country, will be subject to deportation and blacklisted for re-entry into the country. Furthermore, while figures remain unknown, China is known to pass the death penalty for some drug offences.

Despite ongoing cannabis reforms in many parts of the world, it is important to recognise the strict laws that still exist in many countries. While the countries on this list undoubtedly have a lot to offer from a tourist perspective, if you’re set on seeking out some weed on your travels, they are undoubtedly best avoided. The good news is that there are plenty of other cannabis-friendly destinations to explore!

Source: leafie.co.uk, Emily Ledger, July 16, 2024

_____________________________________________________________________

Twitter/X | Facebook | Telegram | Contact Us

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

Florida: The Daily Routine of Death Row Inmates

The breakfast carts rattle through the concrete prison at about 5:30 am and as they approach Death Row the first sounds of morning repeat the last sounds of night - remote controlled locks clanging open and clunking closed, electric gates whirring, heavy metal doors crashing shut, voices wailing, klaxons blaring. A maximum security prison has no soft or delicate sounds. At the end of each corridor of death row cells a guard opens a heavy door of steel bars and a prison trusty pushes a breakfast cart inside. The door closes behind him and when it locks a second door opens and admits the trusty to the wing. He steers his cart along the wing stopping at each cell to pass a tray of powdered eggs and lukewarm grits through a small slot on the bars. Food is prepared by prison staff and transported in insulated carts to the cells. The food carts are full of cockroaches, the food is often undercooked or just rotten and is served on Styrofoam plates with a plastic "spork" - fork/spoon...

Prosecutors may pursue death penalty in Alex Murdaugh retrial, South Carolina AG says

Alan Wilson said prosecutors are “back to square one” and all legal options are on the table. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said Friday that his office may pursue the death penalty when it retries Alex Murdaugh in the 2021 murder of his son and wife. “In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, we’re back to square one on this case, and that means all our legal options are on the table, including the death penalty,” Wilson said. The state’s high court reversed Murdaugh’s double murder conviction in an opinion published Wednesday that accused a former court clerk of “egregious” jury interference.

Former Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip goes free on $500k bond

Richard Glossip was released from jail Thursday, May 14, on a $500,000 bond, a major victory for the former death row inmate who has come so close to execution that he has had three last meals. Glossip, 63, is awaiting his third trial in his 1997 murder-for-hire case. He walked out the front door of the Oklahoma County jail, holding hands with his wife, Lea Glossip, as a stiff Oklahoma breeze whipped his hair. "I'm just thankful for my wife and my attorneys," he told reporters. "I'm just happy." His release came hours after Oklahoma County District Judge Natalie Mai set bail in a 13-page order that pointed to issues with the key witness against him.

Texas executes Edward Busby Jr.

Texas puts man to death for a retired professor's killing in its 600th execution since 1982 A man who experts for both prosecutors and defense attorneys had said was intellectually disabled became the 600th person executed in Texas since 1982, put to death Thursday evening for the killing of a retired 77-year-old college professor. Edward Busby Jr. was pronounced dead at 8:11 p.m. local time following a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, hours after a divided Supreme Court lifted a stay over his disabilities claims. The execution followed a series of last-minute legal efforts by Busby's attorneys in a bid to spare his life after the nation’s high court lifted a stay hours earlier.

South Korea ferry disaster: Surviving passengers of Sewol tragedy give evidence in court

Surviving passengers of a South Korean ferry which sunk in April, killing 304 people, are due to give evidence in the trial of its captain and 14 crew members. Students from the Danwon High School in Ansan, 18 miles south of Seoul, will testify with other passengers in a smaller court nearer to their home, rather than the one where the defendants are being seen in Gwangju, in the south of the country. The Sewol ferry set sail on 16 April with 476 passengers and crew on board - more than 300 of which were schoolchildren. They were enroute from the mainland to the island resort of Jeju as part of a school trip, when nearing the end of the journey, the vessel, which was overloaded, also made a sharp turn to the right causing it to capsize. Captain Lee Joon-seok, 68, was caught on rescue footage being one of the first to leave the ship, while many passengers, obeying orders, remained in the cabins. It is thought a delayed evacuation order from the captain did n...

20 Minutes to Death: Witness to the Last Execution in France

The following document is a firsthand account of the final moments of Hamida Djandoubi, a convicted murderer executed by guillotine at Marseille’s Baumettes Prison on September 10, 1977. The record—dated September 9—was written by Monique Mabelly, a judge appointed by the state to witness the proceedings. Djandoubi’s execution would ultimately be the last carried out in France before capital punishment was abolished in 1981. At the time, President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing—who had publicly voiced his "deep aversion to the death penalty" prior to his election—rejected Djandoubi’s appeal for clemency. Choosing to let "justice take its course," the President allowed the execution to proceed, just as he had in two previous cases during his term: Christian Ranucci , executed on July 28, 1976 and Jérôme Carrein , executed on June 23, 1977. Hamida Djandoubi , a Tunisian national, was sentenced to death for killing his former lover, Elisabeth Bousquet. He was execu...

New Mississippi billboard warns criminals: ‘Firing squad is legal’

DESOTO COUNTY, Miss. (WREG) — A billboard standing on Interstate 55 southbound as you cross the Tennessee state line and enter Mississippi from Memphis is sending a grim message to those coming into the state. DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton recently announced the new billboard campaign, which features the sign reading, “WELCOME TO MISSISSIPPI. WHERE THE FIRING SQUAD IS LEGAL. THINK TWICE.” It references Mississippi’s law permitting execution by firing squad under certain circumstances for inmates sentenced to death. Barton says this campaign is aimed at deterring violent crime and sends a direct message to criminals entering Mississippi.

Arizona | Man who murdered pastor crucifixion style requests plea deal after parents killed in plane crash

Adam Sheafe, the California man who admitted to killing a New River, Arizona, pastor in a crucifixion-style attack, has asked prosecutors to offer him a plea deal that would result in a natural life sentence rather than the death penalty he had previously sought. Advisory council attorneys representing Sheafe sent a formal plea offer to prosecutors this week, about two weeks after his father and stepmother died in a plane crash at Marana Airport on April 8, according to 12 News. Sheafe, 51, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of William Schonemann, 76, pastor of New River Bible Church, who was found dead inside his home last April.

Idaho eyes restart of death row executions as firing squad draws near

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho’s prison system has nearly completed execution chamber upgrades to carry out the death penalty by firing squad as the state’s lead method and will have a team of riflemen ready to go by the time a state law takes effect this summer. As part of the transition, the Idaho Department of Correction hopes to limit participation by its officers as the shooting of condemned people in prison to death is prioritized over lethal injection. Toward that effort, prisoner leadership sought to implement a push-button technology to avoid needing IDOC workers to pull the triggers.

South Dakota | Latest appeal from state's lone death row inmate denied

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit has rejected the latest appeal from Briley Piper, the only person on death row in South Dakota. In March 2000, Briley Piper, along with co-defendants Elijah Page and Darrell Hoadley, conspired to burglarize the Lawrence County home of 19-year-old Chester Poage before abducting and murdering him by beating, stabbing, and stoning in a remote area. Piper was subsequently arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death, while his accomplices received either a death sentence—carried out against Page in 2007—or a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

Death Penalty News

Search This Blog