An Emirati man cultivated almost 40 marijuana plants at his villa in Abu Dhabi after learning how to grow the drugs from the internet.
The 46-year-old filled three rooms in his home with the plants and equipment, and a ventilation system was installed to carry the smell outside, a court heard on Sunday.
Marijuana was also found in cigarettes in his car, and a search of his house uncovered more drugs, including 1,977 amphetamime tablets.
He appeared before Dubai Criminal Court charges with growing and possessing 38 plants and possessing a total of 749g of the drugs, plus the amphetamine. An earlier charge of possessing the plants with the intention to sell was dropped.
The man, who holds two masters degrees from universities in the United States, admitted all of the charges and told judges the marijuana was for personal use.
He was arrested on March 11 this year while returning home from Al Ain.
An Emirati lieutenant with the anti-narcotics unit at Dubai Police told the court marijuana was found in the man’s car and, during questioning, he admitted to growing marijuana at his villa in Al Ruwais in Abu Dhabi. He said he lived at his mother’s house in Sharjah.
“When we asked him how learnt to grow marijuana, he said he learnt through the internet and he ordered most of the equipment needed from abroad,” said the officer.
Prosecutors said the plants seized weighed around 380kg, which his lawyer disputed.
“This is not the weight of the marijuana itself, this includes soil, branches, leaves,” said lawyer Saeed Al Ghilani.
“My client studied in the USA where he started using marijuana and when he returned he held a good position but felt sorry for himself for having to go to addiction dens in order to get marijuana. I’m not trying to legalise drug consumption but I’m trying to explain my client’s circumstances,” said Mr Al Ghilani.
A verdict is expected on September 6.
salamir@thenational.ae
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
