Expat plants cannabis ‘mistaking’ it for tomato

32-year-old’s feat earns him two years in jail

Aworker has been jailed for two years for planting cannabis at his residence. He claimed to have mistaken it for tomato seeds.

Acting on a tip-off, drug enforcement officers raided the 32-year-old

Indian worker’s home in Jebel Ali and seized different quantities of marijuana in April.

Following his arrest, the Indian defendant tested positive for hashish.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted him of planting 0.51gm of cannabis, consuming hashish and possessing nearly 24gm of marijuana for personal consumption.

The seized drugs were in the form of cannabis seeds that were ready to be planted while others were in grass (marijuana) form. The accused pleaded not guilty. “I did not know that those seeds were cannabis. I thought I had planted tomato seeds and when they grew enough to be harvested, I realised that it was not tomato. I consumed hashish and possessed some but not for planting or harvesting,” he told the presiding judge. The accused’s appeal is expected to be heard next month.