Don't get busted here!

Saudi Arabia is known for its routinely harsh penalties and has previously executed hashish dealers. In a country that beheads around 150 people a year, drug-related death penalties make up about 40 per cent of that number. Whilst many of these consequences are indeed the result of involvement with harsher drugs such as heroin, cannabis-related killings are not unheard of. In 2014, Saudi Arabia beheaded four men accused of smuggling “large quantities of cannabis.”

Personal-use possession, however, is subject to much lighter punishment. A first-time offender caught with a joint may end up with a lashing or a two-year prison sentence.

Amnesty International reports that Saudi Arabia is one of four countries that have executed drug criminals in recent years. The others are Iran, China and Singapore, with drug executions also possibly occurring in Vietnam and Malaysia.

In Iran, the Middle East’s other Islamic theocracy, there are as many as 5,000 people on death row relating to drug offences. They also can hand out up to 80 lashes for anyone caught with alcohol.

Aside from this, personal use and possession of cannabis appear to be largely ignored, which, according to some sources, is seeing cannabis growing to become a drug of choice in the Islamic Republic.

However, Iran continues to execute cannabis dealers, albeit with some caveats. Previously, as little as five kilograms of weed could result in a trip to the gallows. Now, however the amount has been raised to 50 kg.

China similarly reserves executions for drug traffickers; however, for pot users only, it is the general rule that strict prison terms are imposed. In 2014, Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee received a six-month jail sentence after being caught possessing 100 grams of cannabis. The Chinese government also has the power to ban any music or film that features an actor who has been seen with drugs.

The country with the harshest penalties for cannabis offences, however, is probably Singapore. Singapore is notorious for its strict sentences, including canings and steep fines for common misdemeanours.

Singapore courts have the authority to order the death penalty for anyone caught with over 500 grams of cannabis. This is precisely what happened in 2016 when a Nigerian name faced hanging over the possession of 2.6 kilograms of weed.

Singapore also does not shy away from punishing visitors to the country. This contrasts with Saudi Arabia or China, where they are more inclined to deport foreign nationals caught with a few grams of weed.

Singapore does not even require evidence of someone being in possession of drugs to jail a foreigner. The wealthy nation appears to be the only country in the world to drug test visiting foreign nationals and arrest anyone who fails.

The consequence for those living in countries where cannabis is legal or more tolerated is that they could visit Singapore and find themselves in police custody following something they did while still in their home country. This is such a worrying scenario that it now figures prominently on Canada’s official travel warnings for Singapore.

More on this topic from Soft Secrets:
 

Singaporean Man Sentenced to death

Where not to get caught with Weed