Article 31 of the Saudi Narcotics Law Implementing Regulations

This article deals with the situation of a user or addict who comes forward to the authorities, and with personal use cases:

1. Handing over what he has: any narcotics or psychotropic substances in his possession are handed to the authority he comes to, the seized items are recorded in an official report, and they are delivered to the Narcotics Control Department.
2. Pointing out the location: if he does not hand them over but directs the authorities to their location, the police seize them where there is no Narcotics Control Department.
3. Scope of use cases: the use cases referred to in paragraph (2) of Article 42 of the Law include the acts punishable under Article 41 of the Law, if they were committed with the intent of use or personal consumption.
4. Closing the investigation on the first occasion: the investigation is closed in cases of using substances, or possessing them with the intent of use or personal consumption, on the first occasion, in accordance with the provisions of the Law of Criminal Procedure.
5. Recording: the authority that orders the closure notifies the Narcotics Control Department in the region so that the case is recorded in a special register under paragraph (2) of Article 42 of the Law.

In practical terms, a person caught for the first time in a use case, or in possession with the intent of personal use, has the investigation closed in accordance with the Law of Criminal Procedure, but the case is recorded in a special register. The article does not set out the content of Articles 41 and 42 of the Law, and it applies only where the intent is use or personal consumption. Anyone facing a case of this kind is well advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.