By Alric Lindsay
Today, September 30, 2024, Magistrate Gunn delayed the sentencing of Ashtyn Briana Harris, a Kimpton bartender who pleaded guilty to importation of ganja and magic mushrooms in the Owen Roberts Airport in August this year. The reason for the delay until October 1 is to allow the judge to review Grand Court judgments on magic mushrooms and cannabinol.
Why the judge will review other judgments
Magistrate Gunn indicated that since offences involving magic mushrooms are fairly new to Cayman, she had to review a recent Grand Court judgment to determine how the drugs were classified. This would guide the final sentencing for Harris.
Sentence faced by Harris
Regarding the outcome sought by Harris’ lawyer, she would like the Court to consider not recording any convictions against Harris on the basis that her importation of drugs to Cayman was unintentional. However, this may be challenging for the Court since there was “a bottle concealed inside a black long-sleeved sweater that contained marijuana” in Harris’ suitcase. The Court may view this concealment as inconsistent with Harris’ position that her actions were “unintentional.”
Why Harris’ case is important
The outcome of Harris’ case is important because it may set a precedent for how certain types of illegal drugs are treated, in this case, magic mushrooms.
Notes to readers:
Some visitors and transient workers (like Harris, a US citizen) to the Cayman Islands come from jurisdictions were certain drugs are legal but illegal in Cayman. One example of this is marijuana, which may legal in some states in the USA but not in the Cayman Islands.
In the case of “Magic mushrooms,” the Alcohol and Drug Foundation explained:
Psilocybin or magic mushrooms are naturally occurring and are consumed for their hallucinogenic effects.They are psychedelic drugs, which means they can affect all the senses, altering a person’s thinking, sense of time and emotions. Psychedelics can cause a person to hallucinate, seeing or hearing things that do not exist or are distorted.
The key ingredient in magic mushrooms is psilocybin. When psilocybin is taken, it’s converted in the body to psilocin, which is the chemical with the psychoactive properties.
While it is understood that there may be increasing usage of magic mushrooms amongst ravers and other party goers, it is unclear how frequent usage may impact work or the ability to perform other tasks.
