US TOURIST JAILED OVER 'MEDICAL' CANNABIS

A 59-year-old tourist who brought more than an ounce of cannabis into
Bermuda was jailed for a month despite arguing that she needed the
drug for medical reasons.

Edith Lord Wolff, of California, admitted in Magistrates' Court to
importing 35.6 grams of cannabis on a May 17 flight from New York. The
drugs were stored inside her luggage.

Crown counsel Tawana Tannock said a K9 unit alerted Customs officers
to the drugs at LF Wade International Airport.

The officers found bags containing hand-rolled cigarettes and plant
matter in Wolff's luggage. Wolff identified the material inside the
bags as marijuana.

Ms Tannock said Wolff was a self-employed investor with no previous
convictions, and offered no evidence on a second count of importation
with intent to supply.

Lawyer Marc Pettingill told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner that
his client has visited friends and family in Bermuda for "a number of
years".

He said she was prescribed medical marijuana because she suffered from
chronic Meniere's disease, an ear disorder that causes dizziness.

Mr Warner said: "I hear you, but I don't care. In California, you can
apply for a firearm licence. It can't be a mitigating factor. Don't
bring it, don't come."

He said the prescription had no validity in Bermuda, or in a state
outside California.

As Wolff stood, Mr Warner told her: "No value has been given to the
court, but this is a substantial amount of drugs."

He said that as a frequent visitor, Wolff must have been aware of
Bermuda's laws.

Wolff cried out from the dock when Mr Warner fined her $3,000, plus 30
days' imprisonment.

The Royal Gazette understands that Wolff has filed an appeal.