earned a Pembroke man a $1,600 fine in the Supreme Court.

Albert Howard Place told Puisne Judge Norma Wade-Miller he was recovering from groin surgery and a bad case of the flu last March when Police arrived with a search warrant and found 15 grammes of cannabis.

"I was not intending to offend anybody, I was only tending to my recovery,'' Place, 53, told Mrs. Justice Wade-Miller. "I try to live as organically as possible. I can now see there are serious consequences for this.'' He added: "For this I'm most remorseful for the repercussions for my family and society at large. I'm a person who has always attempted to live a good life in the sight of God and man.'' Place was fined $1,500 for having the cannabis and $100 for having a packet of Rizla cigarette papers.

The maximum penalty is a $10,000 fine and up to five years in prison.

Mrs. Justice Wade-Miller heard that Narcotics officers, went to Place's Mount Hill Mews home on March 10 with a search warrant.

Crown counsel Sandra Bacchus said Police found a manila pay type envelope containing seeds weighing .53 grammes, the Rizla papers, and a negligible amount of cannabis in another envelope.

They found 15.6 grammes of cannabis and another 1.79 grammes in the kitchen.

When Police found the larger amount of cannabis -- described as "green marijuana'' throughout the hearing -- Place said: "That's boiling herb. It belongs to me.'' And when officers found the smaller amount, he told them it was for cooking.

The antecedents officer, Robin Hollinsid, admitted under questioning from Place's lawyer Elizabeth Christopher that "leafy green marijuana'' was not used for smoking but for ingestion.

Normally cannabis is dried and cured like tobacco before being smoked.

Place has no other reckonable convictions. Mrs. Justice Wade-Miller heard he was "very co-operative'' with Police during the search.

Much of the hearing was taken up with the reason charges concerning such a small amount of cannabis would end up in the Supreme Court.

Mrs. Justice Wade-Miller heard Place opted for a jury trial because he had also been charged with cultivating cannabis.

Ms Christopher said he had "steadfastly'' denied growing the cannabis and would otherwise have pleaded guilty in the lower courts.

She also said Place understood the ramifications of the offence because there was a "serious'' family situation abroad, hinting that he may not be able to travel due to the US Immigration stop list.

Ms Christopher also said Place's wife had stood by her husband "because he had stood by her'' in 29 years of marriage.

She added: "She had never been involved. At 53, he had been an essentially law-abiding citizen. It was being used as a tonic.''