Man fined $1000 for $10 worth of marijuana

FOR possession of $10 worth of marijuana, which he said he uses to control his grand mal seizures, Ian Gonzales was fined $1,000 yesterday.

Gonzales pleaded guilty to having 1.2 grammes of marijuana on Thursday.

He was arrested after police saw him standing on the Southern Main Road, St Margaret’s around 5.30pm, smoking a cigarette of unusual length.

He was represented by attorney Analee Girwar when he appeared before senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine.

The court heard that police on patrol on Thursday stopped and searched Gonzales and found a small foil packet with the drugs in his rear pants pocket. He had dropped the cigarette when he saw them.

The foil packet and the extended piece of the cigarette both weighed 1.2 grammes.

In court yesterday Girwar said Gonzales was a very sick man who is capable of swallowing his tongue at any time. She said he is currently between medications as he seeks to find something to control his seizures, and although he knows medical marijuana is illegal, he has found relief from using the drug.

He had been a successful, healthy individual before 2005, she said, when he fell off a scaffolding and was badly injured. She said that matter is currently before the Civil Court.