Store Manager says 'wild friends' influenced his drug habit
Rami Faisal Kayed, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled drug when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards today, April 10, 2013.
Senior Crown Counsel Sarah Benjamin in relating the facts of the matter, told the Court that the Police went to the Sunshine Department store based on a report received.
The defendant was cautioned and searched and in his left front pants pocket, two clear plastic bags were found with 16 smaller plastic bags.
When asked what the contents of the plastic bags were, the defendant allegedly replied that it was marijuana and was arrested and taken to the police station.
The drugs were later weighed and found to be 15.5g. They were reportedly valued at $45.
The defendant told Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards today, he was going through a lot of things and he decided to purchase the drugs to relieve stress. The accused said the store he was managing was responsible for the stress he was going through.
When the defendant told the Magistrate he started using cannabis this January, she asked if this had been his new year’s resolution. He responded " no", adding that wild friends had told him that it was good for him.
The Magistrate told the accused it was a very foolish thing to listen to his friends and told him that the offence carried a maximum fine of $100,000 or a term of 3 years in prison. He indicated that he did not prefer either of the two when the Magistrate asked.
“Everybody that smiles with you is not your friend,” Magistrate Richards said, “You see your friends? Where are they now?”
The young man acknowledged that he had made a foolish decision and expressed regret.
He was advised to go to Sandy Lane Centre for drug counselling and treatment and placed on $45,000 bail with one surety.
He will return to court on May 31, 2013 for a report on his status.
35 Responses to “Store Manager says 'wild friends' influenced his drug habit”
Young man if you are reading this article, those persons who are giving you these bad advice are not your friends. Friends don’t try to destroy friends. It only takes one joint and you will like it, and you will continue to smoke joint after joint after joint until you are hook and become a drug addict. One more thing, you said that it is the store that you are managing that is responsible for the stress that you are going through, I would like to say to you that you don’t need to take that stress, you can branch out on your own, as I have seen you working as the businessman that you have become, or you can find another stress free job if you don’t have a problem working for a bl...man.
N don't hand me any crap about how it's illegal, the legal system is the issue here and cannot be used as its own argument. Countless individuals now with criminal records over this plant that grows wild in some places, hasn't caused a single death in the history of its use and has many medicinal properties.
It is about time the stigma surrounding cannabis be dismissed, I agree it must be controlled and regulated no one wants to see school kids in class high, or preschoolers with dime bags in there lunch kits, but when is that ever an insurmountable task, it all begins with education & planning. Granted we suck as a territory when it comes to doing anything logical as a group. But our jails are being over crowded with young people over practically nothing other than an age old constitutional foul up.
The law should always evolve to best suit the people governed by it, i don't care how high and mighty and perfect you are, sending young professionals behind bars and tarnishing their reputation in society over a personal choice that affects no one is a disaster!!
All about that kush!
Dude you look like a lawyer and certainly speak like one on crack. LOL
Marijuana has been shown and proven to alleviate pain in certain cases and ease the mind. Say you was doing it for that, or even recreationally. Don't go and blame "WILD FRIENDS" for what you indulging in. Was the wild friends about when you had all them dimebags on you?
Secondly, why you got all them dimebags on you, kid? You buy it...then you stash it. Somebody rat out on you when you done buy it and them catch you at your workplace with it, but you put it away as soon as possible, dude. And a poster hit the nail on the head with the maths them man gah going on when it comes to pricing how much a gram costs.
I kinda glad I don't feel the need to blaze weed on a regular since it ain't my thing. (I smoked a joint and didn't start chain smoking joints like one user posted. lol) The man blaze and get high, enjoy heself or relieve whatever he gah going on, come down and then continue to be a functioning member of society. The B.V.I. need to seriously look at this thing from a proper perspective and tackle it as opposed to imposing hefty fines and jailtime for something so minor as smoking a joint. But I doubt it'll happen in our time. Ayo just stay safe.
Additionally; i just thought i would mention this. A couple months ago my neighbour, who is a christian and speaks out boldly against the use of mariguana was placed in a position to give her young son the roots of this plant to drink for his severe asmathic conditions. I was overwhelmed when she came and ask me if i knew whom she can get the roots from. I told her that she needs to go on the same turfs she and her church friends go on to preach against the "buds" and /ask/purchase some roots. She declined to do so stating that she wants nothing to do with "the turfs" or mariguana and asked if i would go and enquire for her. I refused. I said that to say this. She preached against the use of mariguana YET it was the only herb suggested to her by professionals as the cure for her sons health. I always use to say to her "what if one day you had to use mariguana to save your live, would you feel the same way" and she always answered saying " i will die first" before i use it. BUT she gave it to her son to drink. #food for thought