St. Lucian fined $3,000 for ganja

Thirty-five-year-old St Lucian national, Ernest St Marthe, has been fined $3 000 for cultivating cannabis with an alternative of three months in jail if he does not pay the fine within one week.

The dreadlocked man pled guilty to cultivating 150 plants when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate, Sharda Sinanan Bollers, in the Serious Crimes Court, Tuesday.

The Court was told that members of the Rapid Response Unit were on mobile patrol about 10:30 a.m. in the area of Fancy mountains called “Hole” when they saw the defendant and another man applying manure to the marijuana plants.

St. Marthe was also ordered to be deported.