Shanghai Officials Continue to Crack Down on Cannabis

By Virginia Werner

A Donghua University graduate who was arrested yesterday for drug trafficking in Songjiang College Town may face jail time or the death penalty if convicted. The student, nicknamed Shen, earned approximately RMB10,000 over a span of three months, primarily selling to foreigners, according to Shanghai Daily.

Shen’s business was based out of a local cybercafé, and the high frequency of foreigners coming in and out and Shen’s suspicious behavior (recurrent phone calls and use of restroom) attracted attention from local police, who seized and searched a German foreigner leaving Shen’s home on Monday, finding marijuana that he claimed to have just purchased from Shen. The following day, Shen was arrested and marijuana was found on his person, as well as in his home.

Despite China contributing approximately a quarter of the entire world’s hemp production market, it’s no secret that Chinese authorities take cannabis drug trafficking very seriously. Marijuana is considered a narcotic in China, and both recreational and medical use is highly illegal.

Marijuana trafficking, transport or manufacturing is strongly deterred with sentences of either 15 years of prison, life imprisonment or death, and confiscation of property. Jackie Chan’s son, Jaycee, was caught with three ounces of cannabis last August and suffered a six-month jail sentence. One year ago, Xinhua reported that Chinese authorities arrested over 133,000 suspects for narcotic related charges, seizing over 43.3 tons of illegal drugs. Beijing even has a tradition of “commemorating” International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by executing drug offenders on the day.

Although it seems foreigners get a slap on the wrist when caught with cannabis, Chinese authorities enforce anti-drug laws on locals with a severity that has become infamous.

[Image Via Eden-Saga]

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