A former member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who told the court he boils ganja with lemon juice and olive oil to treat his prostate cancer was today sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for trafficking marijuana while his teen son was placed on bail for the same offence.

The man, Remitton Griffith, 52, further said he has been living with the disease for over a decade when he and his son Shaquille Griffith,18, both of Port Kaituma, North West District, were jointly charged with the offence. They appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It was alleged that, on May 28, 2019 at Fitzburg, Port Kaituma, North West, they had in their possession 371 grams of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

The teenager pleaded not guilty to the charge while his father pleaded guilty with explanation.

Facts presented by Police Prosecutor Adduni Innis stated that, on May 28, 2019 between 05:30 hrs and 06:00 hrs, ranks from the Port Kaituma Police Station acting on information went to the defendants’ home where they conducted a search.

Leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be marijuana were discovered in a chair in the living room area. The older Griffith was told of the offence and he admitted ownership of the drugs, hence he was taken to the Port Kaituma Police Station.

The man in his explanation to the court stated, “I am a father of eight and I am sorry for what I did. I don’t want to waste the court’s time so I’m pleading guilty. I am a prostate patient and I normally used the ganja to treat my sickness. I mix the weed with olive oil and lemon juice and drink it.”

After listening to both sides, the magistrate asked the prosecutor whether to give the defendant the minimum or maximum penalty.

The prosecutor agreed to the minimum penalty. Therefore, the magistrate sentenced the elder Griffith to 18 months in prison.

His son, on the other hand, was placed on $70,000 bail and was instructed to make his next court appearance on July 6, 2019.

 

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