The 'hand-rolled' incense, marketed simply as Cannabis, has been sold in Dubai for several years and its owners say they haven't run into any legal problems.
The 'hand-rolled' incense, marketed simply as Cannabis, has been sold in Dubai for several years and its owners say they haven't run into any legal problems.
The 'hand-rolled' incense, marketed simply as Cannabis, has been sold in Dubai for several years and its owners say they haven't run into any legal problems.
The 'hand-rolled' incense, marketed simply as Cannabis, has been sold in Dubai for several years and its owners say they haven't run into any legal problems.

Concerns of 'cannabis' incense sticks being sold in Dubai supermarkets


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DUBAI // A brand of incense designed to smell like cannabis is being sold in supermarkets.

The 'hand-rolled' incense, marketed simply as Cannabis, has been sold in Dubai for several years and its owners say they haven't run into any legal problems.

But psychologists say that teenagers looking to experiment with drugs could try to crush up the incense in a misguided attempt to get high.

"It's messing with children's minds," said Charmaine Van Zyl, a psychologist at the Canadian Medical Centre. "Teenagers like to experiment and want to try new things. That kind of name can be a trigger for them.

"In other countries, because drugs are accessible and they can get hold of it, you only get a minority who go out and do it. But in some respects here you get more who are interested because it's forbidden and intriguing.

"I think if they see the name of that stuff, it will spread like wildfire around schools."

The incense is manufactured by a brand called Hem Corporation, which alongside other traditional scents like lavendar and ylang ylang also produces another type of incense called 'opium'.

"Our cannabis incense sticks are in no way connected to real cannabis and do not contain any ingredient of cannabis," said general manager Kartik Momaya.

"It's just a name that's given, because it smells like that. It's just a synthetic perfume and nothing harmful."

Mr Momaya said the incense has been sold in the UAE for more than 10 years. "It's very popular, we are the number one in this product category."

Dr Sarhan Al Meheini, deputy director of the Police Sciences Academy in Sharjah said it was questionable how the incense could smell like cannabis without having any ingredients of the drug.

"Someone from the police should check up on whether it does contain some kind of cannabis," he said. "If it does not contain cannabis and is not breaking any law then I see nothing wrong with it."

However, Johanna Griffin, an addiction specialist at LifeWorks counseling said children were known to try to abuse common household products found at shops.

The trend of inhaling butane, known as 'huffing', was linked to the death of 17-year-old British student Anton Tahmasian in 2010.

"Teenagers are at that age where they want to experiment," said Ms Griffin. "Particularly here, where they don't have access to conventional drugs, they want to try new things out."

The incense packaging does not contain a list of ingredients. Ms Griffin said that the incense should be clearly labelled as not containing cannabis, so as not to encourage children.

Another psychologist, Dr Raymond Hamden, from the Human Relations Institute, said the fact no disclaimer was on the packaging meant that it could be a powerful placebo.

He said several studies have shown that a placebo substance, which smelt like cannabis when burned, was linked with feelings of intoxication in test subjects.

"If the research applies in this case, then people can get high just off what they think is going to happen," he said.

"The psychologically vulnerable are going to get addicted, just through the psychological effects," he said. "It doesn't always have to be from the physiological effects."

mcroucher@thenational.ae

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT

1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India  1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps

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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA

Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600

Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km

The%20Roundup
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)

Saturday 

Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)

Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)

Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldof v  Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)

Sunday

Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)

 

 

 

 

 

MATCH INFO

Day 1 at Mount Maunganui

England 241-4

Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28

New Zealand 

Yet to bat

Scorline

Iraq 1-0 UAE

Iraq Hussein 28’