Permanent Resident Charged With Importation Of Cannabinol Derivatives. She Was Fined $1,000 & Received A Conditional Discharge.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Alric Lindsay
In the Summary Court today, December 16, 2024, a woman who is a permanent resident in the Cayman Islands was charged with the importation of five gummies containing less than two ounces of cannabinol derivatives. She was conditionally discharged for 12 months and ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 or serve 10 weeks in prison if she fails to pay.
Background
As described in the Summary Court, the 43-year-old travelled to the United States for a birthday. She arrived in Grand Cayman on a Jet Blue flight from Kingston on November 20, 2024.
During the usual search by Customs & Border Control officers, a container with cannabis-infused gummies was located in the mesh pocket of her luggage. The container was labelled to contain THC and CBD.
No other illegal items were revealed upon a further search.
When asked about the gummies, she explained that her friend in the United States gave her the gummies to help her sleep, as she had been having issues sleeping since the passing of her mother last year.
She added that she never intended to import the substance into the Cayman Islands, and she forgot that the gummies were in her luggage.
Sentencing
In the Summary Court, the Chief Magistrate explained to the woman that cannabinol derivatives are considered hard drugs under the laws of the Cayman Islands and are treated like cocaine.
The Chief Magistrate added:
Importing it across international borders into a country in which you live and have had the privilege of living and working for 15 years carries with it a higher sense of responsibility.
However, the Chief Magistrate accepted that the woman made a genuine mistake and declared that exceptional circumstances existed in her case. The Chief Magistrate, therefore, gave the woman a conditional discharge for 12 months.
Additionally, the Chief Magistrate ordered that the woman pay $1,000 or face 10 weeks in prison in default of payment.
The gummies were also ordered forfeited and destroyed.
