A 34-year-old resident of Herberts was fined $500 for possession of cannabis and reprimanded and discharged on a separate charge of smoking the drug in a public space, according to Antigua Observer.
Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel presided over the case and, while letting the defendant off with a warning on the public smoking charge, used the opportunity to deliver a firm message to the broader public.
The Chief Magistrate issued a stern reminder that smoking cannabis in any public space is an offence under the law — one that authorities take seriously and intend to enforce.
The case highlights the legal boundaries surrounding cannabis use in Antigua and Barbuda, where possession and public consumption remain subject to prosecution despite shifting attitudes toward the drug regionally and internationally.
As reported by Antigua Observer, the defendant received no custodial sentence, but the presiding magistrate made clear that others who engage in similar conduct in public spaces should not expect leniency.
