Dubai Police Confirms ''Medwakh'' Tobacco is free of Marijuana

Source from:  Emirates 24/7 04/10/2015

Dubai Police has confirmed that 'Medwakh' tobacco does not contain marijuana, it was announced at a press conference on Thursday.

It said the result of the rapid screening test conducted earlier was proved to be incorrect.

The new conference was attended by Col. Fahd Al Mutawa of　General Department of Criminal Evidence and Science, Colonel Eid Mohammed Thani　Hareb, director of the General Directorate for Drug Control, Ibtisam　Abdouly, head of the Department of Toxins in the General Department of Criminal Evidence and Criminology.

Colonel Al Mutawa said that Dubai Police's experts took steps after reports that marijuana was found in 'Medwakh' tobacco. It took four samples of the tobacco and a urine sample and checked the way it was tested at Garhoud Hospital. It was found the 'quick scan' method used in the hospital could lead to inaccurate results.

The tobacco and urine sample was also tested in Dubai Police's own forensic laboratory, Col. Al Mutawa said.

Al Mutawa said scientific studies confirm that the presence of drugs in high concentrations in the urine sample may lead to erroneous results when the 'quick scan' method is used.

He also said police checked several samples of 'Medwakh' tobacco that caused dizziness but were not found to contain any narcotic.

A similar study conducted by Dubai Police in 2013 had also concluded that the tobacco does not contain any narcotic substance.

Colonel Eid Mohammed Thani Hareb urged the media to check with the authorities before publishing such unconfirmed reports.

Ibtisam Abdouly, head of toxicology department at Dubai Police, .said the 'quick scan' method of checking to detect drugs is not reliable. Dubai Police has sensitive electronic devices to check substances for presence of narcotics. Enditem