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Illegality of Hashish Usage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

LaVelle Hendricks, Omaymah Radwan

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is one of the Islamic countries that forbid narcotics as well as any harmful substances. KSA does impose harsh punishment to anyone involved with narcotics, whether they are dealers, smugglers, or users. Although Saudis know that these substances are forbidden by Saudi and Islamic laws, there are individuals that do use them regardless of the laws. In 2006, Statistics of the United Nations noted that the quantity seized from narcotics in the KSA alone exceeded the amount seized around the world. Based on the Statistics of General Directorate of Narcotics Control in the KSA, the narcotics most used in the country are hashish, khat, captagon and heroin. However, hashish usage in the kingdom has become the biggest issue that has faced Saudi Government. Statistics of Ministry of Interior in the KSA proved that 70 percent of hashish users were school students. Although using and cultivating hashish in this country is forbidden by law, dealers from different countries such as Afghanistan, Israel, Iran and Lebanon are smuggling it by sea or other borders. Some politicians stated that, the KSA is one of the targeted countries in this world and the enemies are trying to destroy its citizens. Hence, the Saudi Ministry of Interior established the General Directorate of Narcotics Control department to control the use of harmful substances and punish the narcotic offenders. It imposes harsh punishment for hashish dealers, smugglers and users. It also established specialized hospitals and treatment programs for hashish addicts as well as other drugs. Clearly, this research will provide beneficial information regarding the percentage of hashish addicts in the KSA, the reasons of using hashish among Saudi young and address the efforts of Saudi government against it.