A 39-year-old man of Sioma district in Western Province has pleaded guilty to a charge of cultivating and trafficking in marijuana when he appeared before a Sesheke subordinate court today.
Before class one magistrate Kebby Sebitwane was Maele Kuyemaeta of Kapolota village in Sioma district who was charged with two counts of trafficking and cultivation of psychotropic substances contrary to section 6 of the narcotic drug and psychotropic substance Act cap 96 of the laws of Zambia.
In the first count, facts before the court were that on the 14th January 2018, Kuyemaeta did traffic in 15 kilogrammes (kgs) of a psychotropic substance namely marijuana, a herbal product of cannabis sativa without lawful authority.
And in the second count, he also pleaded guilty for unlawfully cultivating 120 kilogrammes of a plant which can be used or consumed as a psychotropic substance.
In passing judgment, magistrate Sebitwane sentenced the victim to 36 months imprisonment with hard labour in the first count and 24 months imprisonment with hard labour for the second count.
He was ordered to either pay an amount of K2, 000 or be imprisoned with hard labour for 24 months in default.
The sentences will run concurrently if he does not pay.
Meanwhile, magistrate Sebitwane has ordered the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Officer in Charge to dispose off the cannabis since the district DEC office does not have a proper storage facility for the substance.
Alcohol is more deadly than herb ( cannabis) please let’s just legalize it. Already our prisons are congested eliminate colonial mentality.
DEC , learn from countries . This is now a multi billion dollar industry . Why do you always have retrogressive laws? Please let us move with times.
Learn from other countries.