Court: Cruise Ship Passenger Fined $2,000
[Written by Don Burgess]
An American tourist who said he had a medical marijuana card admitted to several drug offences, including importation, and was fined $2000.
Randolph Knight, 46, from Atlanta, Georgia, who was a passenger on the Norwegian Escape, pled guilty to several drug charges.
Those included bringing cannabis, cartridges containing tetrahydrocannabinol, a plastic grinder, and a smoking pipe into Bermuda on August 1.
Customs officers stopped Knight and a woman after disembarking from the ship. When the officers went to examine a suitcase Knight said it belonged to him and the contents of the suitcase were all his.
The officers found material that would later test to be cannabis, a glass pipe, and cartridges.
They later searched his cabin and found more cannabis, another pipe, and a plastic grinder.
After being tested, it was determined that there were 10.84 grams of cannabis and 0.2 grams in the grinder.
The court was shown documents that he had a medical marijuana card from California and a doctor’s note about the extent of his injuries that would require him to use the marijuana to ease his pain.
Knight said, “I would like to apologise for being willfully ignorant of the law. I meant no intent to disrespect this wonderful country, and I would like to say I am sorry. I am not a criminal where I live, but I understand I have violated the laws here.”
Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo said even though he had the medical marijuana card, Bermuda hasn’t ‘gotten there yet.’ Knight was fined $1500 for importing cannabis, $200 for possessing drug equipment, and $300 for importing the tetrahydrocannabinol.
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