Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:

A Montegonian who was arrested in October for 10 ounces of ganja that were intended for use at a birthday party is to have a social enquiry report prepared for him.

Vernon McIntosh, of Bogue Village in Montego Bay, pleaded guilty to possession of and dealing in ganja when he appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday. However, he disputed the weight of the ganja on the court's file, claiming that it was half a pound (8 ounces).

McIntosh admitted to Resident Magistrate (RM) Vivienne Harris that he had been planning to distribute the ganja among the invitees at a birthday party to be held for a friend, at the house where the weed was found.

McIntosh also admitted to having four prior convictions for smoking ganja, and expressed a desire to go onto the court's Drug Court Programme to overcome his habit.

"You were planning to have a birthday ganja party. Everybody who comes to the party must smoke ganja, so nobody can breathe," RM Harris quipped.

"I don't want anybody coming into the Drug Court Programme, who just comes because they want to escape going to prison," she added, in response to McIntosh's request to enter the programme.

McIntosh's sentence was deferred until December 9, at which time a social enquiry report is to be prepared for him to aid in sentencing.