Dubai: Dokha smokers in the UAE do not believe the tobacco contains any marijuana.
The statement was made by smokers in the country after traces of marijuana were found in the urine of dokha smokers by a Dubai-based doctor.
The sight of Emiratis smoking dokha, especially young people, is common in the UAE.
In fact, medwakh, which was earlier known only to people in the GCC (especially the UAE and Oman), is becoming a fad among young users from other Arab countries and the West.
“I have been smoking dokha for 13 years and I have never got high,” said Mohammad Hassan, a Palestinian.
Hassan, who smokes dokha up to 20 times a day, said he only gets a slight buzz in the mornings.
Salem Mohammad, a Bahraini, was also sceptical about the findings of the doctor.
“I smoke it around 10 times a day and I have been smoking it for five years. I have never got any effects of getting high.”
Mohammad said he smokes more on week days than weekends because of peer pressure.
“During working days I smoke more because my colleagues invite me to go smoke with them. On weekends, on the other hand, I only smoke a few times a day because I don’t have my colleagues inviting and encouraging me to do it.”
Abdul Messih Amer, a Syrian who started smoking dokha in high school, said he couldn’t believe it had traces of marijuana.
“This is news to me. I’ve been smoking dokha since I was in grade 10, and I’ve never heard of anyone getting high from it,” he said. “Then again I suppose traces of it aren’t enough to get you high.”
Amer said it was peer influence that made him pick up the habit.
“Children in school would smoke it during recess,” he said. “Of course, we had to hide from the supervisors otherwise we’d get into trouble. We’d usually take turns smoking off a single pipe in the toilet.”
When asked if he would quit the habit if news about it being laced with marijuana is true, Amer said: “I would stop it because the last thing I need is marijuana traces appearing in my system and getting me in trouble with the law. I’ve been contemplating quitting the practice for some time now; it gives me shortage of breath and makes me feel lethargic.”
Salma E., a Palestinian mass communications graduate, said she smokes dokha since it doesn’t leave as bad a stench as cigarettes.
