Drug Use Penalties in Jordan: Imprisonment, Fines and Treatment

Article 9 is not limited to direct consumption, It also covers acts such as possessing, holding, buying, receiving, transporting, storing or cultivating covered substances, preparations or plants when the purpose is personal use.

The legal classification depends on the alleged act, intent, evidence, substance and its schedule, A common name for a substance or the amount alone does not determine the sentence or the outcome of a case.

Use or possession for personal use is not automatically promotion, Different provisions may apply if other conduct is alleged, such as delivering or attempting to deliver a substance for distribution; the facts and relevant statutes must be examined.

Article 9(a) links the penalty to the schedule in which the substance, preparation or plant is listed, For conduct intended for personal use, it provides these ranges:

Article 14(a) sets out a separate offence for possessing, using or consuming a substance, plant or preparation not listed in the attached schedules with the purpose of causing intoxication or another harmful effect on the mind, The stated penalty is imprisonment for one to three years and a fine of JOD 1,000 to 3,000.

Whether this provision applies requires checking the substance, laboratory findings and alleged intent, It should not be assumed from an informal or unverified description.

Article 9(b) states that an act under paragraph (a) is not treated as a prior criminal record or security restriction for a person committing it for the first time, This does not automatically dismiss the charge or create a general exemption from the penalties in Article 9(a).

The first-time provision and the law's treatment options are separate matters, each with its own legal effect.

Under Article 9(c), when considering a use offence, the court may choose a treatment measure instead of imposing the paragraph (a) sentence, The listed options include placement in a specialised rehabilitation facility for a period set by its competent committee, or treatment at a specialist clinic under a treatment programme.

This is a choice for the court based on the person's circumstances; it is not automatic or a guaranteed outcome.

Article 9(f) provides that public prosecution is not initiated against a person who uses or is dependent on the covered substances if, before being apprehended, the person voluntarily or through a relative goes to an official specialised treatment centre, the Anti-Narcotics Department, or a security centre and asks for treatment.

This provision is tied to the timing of the request and the centre approached, It should not be treated as a guarantee that an existing case will stop after apprehension or once proceedings have begun; the statutory conditions must be checked.

The penalty ranges differ by schedule, and official decisions may add substances to the lists, as shown in decisions published in the Official Gazette, The law and schedules in force at the time of the alleged conduct should therefore be checked; a substance's common name is not enough to determine its classification.

A lawyer can review the laboratory report, alleged conduct, arrest records and procedures, and the current stage of the case, General information alone cannot determine the legal classification or predict a judgment.

Abdelhalim Aburabie, through Aburabie Law Office in Amman, handles drug and State Security Court cases as an independent lawyer, An initial consultation is available at no charge to discuss a non-sensitive summary of the matter and how documents and the scope of any engagement may be reviewed.

The free initial consultation does not automatically include case management or court representation, and sending a message does not itself create an engagement, Fees and any additional work are agreed before they begin.