Relapsing cannabis user jailed for three-and-a-half years

Relapsing drug user Joseph Buttigieg, 50 of Qala, Gozo was jailed for another three and a half years and fined €3,000 after being convicted of cultivating and possessing of 1.8kg of cannabis.

Taking the witness stand the accused, who in 2009 was jailed for 11 years over charges of importing cannabis seeds back in 1999, claimed he never trafficked drugs but cultivated cannabis for his personal use.

While denying being a drug addict, Buttigieg told the court he neither drinks alcohol nor gambles, but for the past 38 years he smoked joints every day.

Before being incarcerated the accused smoked up to 30 joints daily. During his time in prison he started rolling and smoking normal cigarettes, and after leaving jail his only smoked around 15 joints daily.

Buttigieg reiterated he kept the joints in cigarette packets in order not to make people suspect what he was smoking. He also smoked the joints in a small garden adjacent to his house, to prevent his son from seeing him and being exposed to drugs.

The case dates back to January 2005, when the accused was under surveillance by officers from the Police Drug Squad and was seen leaving his field at Dahlet Qorrot, inside a van.

The Police attempted to stop the vehicle and fired warning shots but the accused put the van in reverse and tried to flee the scene. More warning shots were fired, at the van's wheels before Buttigieg surrendered to the officers.

During a search inside the vehicle the police found a plastic container containing a black powder. A similar container was also found at Buttigieg's field. Led by the accused himself, officers were taken to the area where Buttigieg cultivated his cannabis plants and a paper bag with dried Cannabis leaves was handed to the investigators. Forensic tests revealed the dried leaves to be 5.5% pure.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman held that the reports tabled by court experts highlighted that 1.8 kg of Cannabis could be turned into around 3,747 joints. This tallies with the accused's claim of smoking around 20 joints daily. Furthermore the examination of Buttigieg's assets did not result in any proof the man earned his living off drug trafficking.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman sentenced the 50-year-old smoker to three and a half years imprisonment and fined him €3,000. Buttigieg was also ordered to pay €4556 in court fees.