Teen: Drugs for relaxation

A 19-year-old found with a quantity of marijuana over the weekend said he had it for relaxation.

Jadiah Malik Marcus Barton, of Lucas Street, St Philip pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of $45 worth of cannabis.

Station Sergeant Crishna Graham told the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court police were conducting an operation in Barton’s neighborhood on April 11 when they saw him sitting in a chair on the outside. A search was requested to which he consented. Nothing was found on his person but the bag he was carrying contained 19 small ziploc bags with vegetable matter.

“I was going to smoke it,” Barton told police at the time when the 8.74 grammes of cannabis were discovered.

Before Magistrate Wayne Clarke the teenager stated: “I had it for the quarantine to help me relax so I did not have to leave home.”

The first-time offender will have a probation report prepared on him in preparation for sentencing.  However, that could be delayed as a result of the health pandemic. According to the magistrate there was no guarantee when that will occur.

Under the circumstances the magistrate granted Barton $750 bail which he secured with one surety. He is expected to reappear in the St Matthias Magistrates’ Court on August 20.