Argument over ganja sticks leads to reduced sentence for Trinidad men

A lawyer and a prosecutor argued in court over the quantity of marijuana over which four Trinidadians should be charged; the lawyer arguing that the ‘sticks’ (stalk), should not be included in the total weight. The men appeared at the Serious Offences Court before Senior Magistrate, Colin John, on October 24, 2024, where they were sentenced for illegally possessing and trafficking 108,960 grammes of cannabis. Damian Baptiste, 29; Shaqkeim Bolah, 21; Isaiah Phillips, 23; and Jayrun Abraham, 21; of Trinidad & Tobago were accused of committing the offences on October 3, 2024 at Petit Bordel.

Defence Counsel, Grant Connell, who represented the four, told the court that the men were invited to St Vincent to learn how to grow cannabis and he found it interesting that the Trinidadians were not charged with illegal cultivation. Connell told the court that on one hand, there is an upcoming Cannabis festival which will reap thousands of dollars, and on the other there is a prosecutor who will ask the court to impose a $100,000 fine on the men, or jail them, then ask that the “good herb” be destroyed. Connell told the court that the police have charged the Trinidadians for a drug that is composed of three-quarts “sticks.” He said that weed “is the only thing that sets us apart from the rest of the Caribbean”, and added that St Vincent is more recognised for its cannabis cultivation industry than Jamaica.

“It causes you to wonder about those who make and change the law,” Connell continued, adding that the winds are blowing against those who are without money, and that the ones who benefit from the cannabis are not the ones who are working for it.

“Impose a fine”, he told the court. “Send them back to Trinidad. They’re Trinidad’s problem, not ours…you’re going to hold them here three years for cannabis? Pay a fine and deport them. If the prosecution insists a custodial sentence, suspend it…we have to stop the hypocrisy at some point,” Connell argued.

In rebuttal, Prosecutor, Renrick Cato told the court that the trees are weighed as they are.

“If the police officers are to take the leaves off the stalks, this same lawyer would say they tampered with evidence.”

Cato told the court he agrees that cannabis is a growing industry in this country, but there is a proper way to grow marijuana, and people are aware of this, but they still choose to do as they please. Cato said the prosecution was not asking for a custodial sentence to be imposed on the men, but asked the court to be mindful of the message it sends to the public.

The Senior Magistrate said that the trees, which were presented before the court as exhibits, were not a true reflection of the cannabis.

“As far as I know, you can’t smoke the sticks,” he said. John then divided the weight of the drugs by half, and ordered each man to pay $25,000 forthwith or face one year in prison. The drugs were ordered to be destroyed and a deportation order was made against the men.