# Is cannabis legal in United Arab Emirates?

> Prohibited. There is no legal way to buy cannabis in United Arab Emirates: sale and purchase are criminal offences. Cannabis is prohibited in the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi included: possession, use and import are criminal offences under the federal narcotics law, with prison and deportation for foreigners, and traces found on arrival at the airport have led to prosecutions. Rule jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates. Reviewed: 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://420.camp/pl/weed/united-arab-emirates  
Verified: 2026-09-22 (rule reviewed against its source) Scope: United Arab Emirates.  
Published by 420.camp — quote with attribution and a link (https://420.camp/license).

## Facts

- **Legal status:** Prohibited. There is no legal way to buy cannabis in United Arab Emirates: sale and purchase are criminal offences. Cannabis is prohibited in the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi included: possession, use and import are criminal offences under the federal narcotics law, with prison and deportation for foreigners, and traces found on arrival at the airport have led to prosecutions. Rule jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates. Reviewed: 2026-09-22.
- **Can tourists buy:** Prohibited. Visitors have no legal way to buy or use cannabis in United Arab Emirates. Do not bring cannabis or CBD products into the country; there is no legal way to buy them. Rule jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates. Reviewed: 2026-09-22.
- **How to buy:** Do not bring cannabis or CBD products into the country; there is no legal way to buy them.
- **Medical access:** Prohibited. There is no medical-cannabis programme in United Arab Emirates; a prescription from another country gives no legal access. Rule jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates. Reviewed: 2026-09-22.
- **Possession limit:** Prohibited. Cannabis is prohibited in the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi included: possession, use and import are criminal offences under the federal narcotics law, with prison and deportation for foreigners, and traces found on arrival at the airport have led to prosecutions. Rule jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates. Reviewed: 2026-09-22.
- **Important restrictions:** Any purchase is an offence; there is no personal-use exemption for buying. Street offers to tourists are a common setup for extortion or arrest. Never carry cannabis across a national border. Traces in luggage, vape cartridges or edibles count as possession. Medical proposals, where they exist, have not created a dispensing channel. Foreign nationals face the same penalties as residents, often with deportation added. Do not bring cannabis or THC products into the country. THC: Zero tolerance: any THC, including traces, is an offence.

## Sources
- [United Arab Emirates legal reference](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/justice-safety-and-the-law/drug-laws)

Consumption places and rules: https://420.camp/consume/united-arab-emirates