Services in Dubai detained an American after traces of marijuana were detected in his urine. The detainee now faces several years in prison despite the fact that he consumed cannabis legally, at his home, before flying to the United Arab Emirates. Here are more details.
American man arrested in Dubai after traces of marijuana were detected in his urine
Peter Clark, who lives daily in Las Vegas, flew to Dubai on February 24 and was expected to spend several days there. During his stay in the United Arab Emirates he fell ill with pancreatitis due to which he had to be taken to a local hospital. On site, doctors took a urine sample from him to test for drugs. The doctors detected traces of marijuana in the American's body and notified the police.
The detained U.S. citizen, who had not yet fully recovered and was still feeling unwell from his illness, was then taken to the drug unit. He ended up in a cell with at least ten other men who were arrested for possession of illegal stimulants. A press release published by Detained in Dubai reported that the detainee refused to take medication received from the hospital, which led to an infected vein in his left elbow.
I was absolutely stunned when I learned that I had been charged with having marijuana residue in my system. I had smoked it legally at home long before boarding the plane
- informed Peter Clark in a statement
Peter Clark was released on March 6, after a few days in custody, he was told to return to his hotel and expect to be contacted by the police. However, more than a month has passed since then, and the man is still in Dubai, and it is possible that he faces years in prison.
I knew about the country's strict drug laws, but I didn't think for a second that I could go to jail for something I did in America. I tried to explain it to the police and be as cooperative as possible, but I'm just being flipped through the system
- Clark added
In the United Arab Emirates with stimulants there is no joke, having even trace amounts of any drug on you, including marijuana ends in prison. The minimum sentence for possession of ANY amount of weed, for example, is four years in prison. For trafficking, there is a death penalty. Hardly, the detection of drugs in the body is treated the same as possession. This is worth keeping in mind if you plan a trip to that part of the world.
The UAE's arbitrary enforcement of the law and lack of predictable legal consequences means that Peter potentially faces years in prison for smoking marijuana legally. Even if found not guilty, he could be dragged through a slow and expensive legal process
- reported Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, who is currently representing Clark