An East Ruimveldt man was yesterday fined and ordered to undergo counselling after he told a city magistrate that he was treating a one-year-old relative’s asthma with a cannabis tea as well as urine.
Apart from the sentence imposed on Keon Grenville, 27, acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus also ordered that a probation officer check on the wellbeing of the child.
Grenville yesterday admitted to the charge that on June 7th, at Phase 1, East Ruimveldt, he had two grammes of cannabis in his possession.
Police prosecutor Adduni Inniss told the court that around 6 am on the day in question, the police went to the home of Grenville and conducted a search, which uncovered a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems, suspected to be cannabis.
Grenville admitted ownership of the cannabis and was arrested and later charged.
It was when asked by the magistrate why he had the cannabis that Grenville stated that he bought it to make tea for his young relative, who has asthma. He added that early in the morning the child would be given the cannabis tea along with urine.
Prior to handing down her sentence, Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus told Grenville, “It’s not healthy to give the child urine to drink then to boil the cannabis and give him as tea. That’s very dangerous.”
She then directed a probation officer, who was present in court, to check on the wellbeing of the child.
The magistrate subsequently fined Grenville $10,000 and also ordered that he perform community service every Monday from 9 am to 12 pm, beginning June 10th and ending on July 29th.
She also ordered him to attend three counselling sessions.
