Grand Bay man fined for ganja

Laurent after he was arrested at the Roseau Market on Friday

A 49-year-old man from Grand Bay who was arrested at the Roseau Market on Friday (May 4 2012) has been slapped with a fine of $30,000.00

Acting on a “tip off” the police, armed with a warrant, went in search of Antoine Laurent.

His house was searched and an additional search of his  farm yielded 113 plants of Marijuana which were uprooted by the police.

Laurent was fined $20,000. for cultivation.

He also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply 3215 grams of the drug, a conviction which attracted a further $10,000 fine.

He has until September 30 to pay the $20,000. fine or face 9 months in jail.

Laurent was given until December 31 to pay the additional $10,000 – failure to do that on time could land him in prison for six months.

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77 Comments

  1. Green
    May 9, 2012

    If you agree repeat after me…
    Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll!

  2. Optimize
    May 9, 2012
  3. OnMyMedS
    May 9, 2012

    y fight life?…i kno there would be a real good debate on the legalization of marijuana..but if you guys had all allu facts correct abt the real purpose of marijuana i bet you would have a different approach…stop listenin to what people say..if u have no personal knowledge about the plant i suggest you conduct a strong research and come correct…allu wanted to legal bullin in allu moda boomboom..idk wa kinda butocracy place this

  4. Hilroy Alfred J.r
    May 9, 2012

    it’s time we look into legalization of cannabis … and teach our children the truth and history of marijuana and stop adopting wrong info imparted on us by society

  5. Mike
    May 9, 2012

    Just go jail, then come out and plantg more weed. Period!

  6. WAITUKUBULI
    May 9, 2012

    :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: All ganja man must align themselves to-it and they’ll go free when caught.Ask Bubbles how to apply,see he got away!

  7. Rule
    May 9, 2012

    The consensus is undisputable unanimous in here that Ganga should not be criminalized. I don’t smoke but I believe the more severe crimes facing this country, is neither cultivation nor possession of Ganga.

  8. LR
    May 9, 2012

    113 plants uprooted…did they actually count it??i’d ask them to show me all 113…not the other day the boy from kingshill was caught with cocaine and fine him a grand something…….since when weed is a drug??what do you add to it to call it a drug..smh…so what about all the other bush my granny would boil and tell me it good for this and dat…sure it acts like an antidote to something..would that be drugs too?

  9. wong ping
    May 9, 2012

    free him up

  10. Jbfox
    May 9, 2012

    The is government is encouraging them to plant more weed because it’s a great source of income for the goverment when they are caught.I have no problem with Ganga am not a smoker but I drink the tea once in a while, it’s lovely plant.

  11. Anonymous
    May 9, 2012

    because is a poor man dno have to put a picture. police not going behind those that selling the cocaine at all. so life is in the place

  12. Meme Bet Mem Pwell!
    May 9, 2012

    Yes, all of you Ganja lovers/smokers on here can cry and talk all of your rubbish. If tomorrow the Government decide alcohol and tobacco is illegal, we going in every rum shop and Kabaway and arrest all you back-side! ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL! Chah man!

    • Ganja Farmer
      May 9, 2012

      Sir/ Madam, do you know that on the law books in the Commonwealth of Dominica, it is illegal to have long hair (Dread Act)? Then why aren’t you going out there and arrest our backsides?
      ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL! Chah man!

      The Hypocrisy of our law system and those who filter what is perceived as “good and bad” and calling themselves law enforcement while the real criminals roaming our streets, terrorizing locals and foreigners alike.

      They don’t go out there and arrest people for this law, but will label a man for a plant and incarcerate him with real criminals for something natural that was created by the Father HIMself. Uphold the damn law and stop being selective…..full up stock farm with everybody that has long hair (not only dread locks). ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL! Chah man!

      What about freedom, liberty and the pursuit of true happiness? What about being civil and putting pure logic/commonsense into play for the safety (Medically), development (secure markets for our farmers) and happiness (not everybody likes the rum and alcohol) of all Dominicans before being so emotional (wipe out all crack, cocaine and ALL process substances).

      There is so much evidence that herb is good for mankind but man makes it illegal and some fools will repeat like a nursery rhyme….ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL! Chah man!

      DNO, what happen to you guys man? Why won’t you conduct a poll for the legalization and decriminalization of Cannabis sativa? You conduct polls on gambling, diabolic ideologies to justify the legalization of the filth of homosexuality, holidays for ALD but you don’t want the truth out…….that the majority of Dominicans are ready to send a clear message to our Policy makers and Government that we are ready to go to the next level with Marijuana.

      DNO, I have great respect for you guys, but grow a pair and help start this revolution……free up d Herb in the Nature Island. It is there for a reason…….for the use of every man, woman and child.

      • Meme Bet Mem Pwell!
        May 9, 2012

        @ Ganja Farmer, so if as you claim you “farming ganja”, why don’t YOU come down to the Roseau Market and sell it nuh?? Come if you are a man in your shilott! Dread Act was set aside years ago, in the House of Assembly, if you don’t know. Same way hanging is on the books but it was set aside. So come better than that.

      • May 9, 2012

        Ganja Farmer if you so sure about your self publish your real name and adress or start selling the drug in your front yard or take it to the Roseau market like your fellow brother did. I am hoping you do not have any kids and if you have kid my question to you are you feeding your kids with that drug, you so want to legalized? The problem with people like you is there are those that will take you all people seriously. I know better than to agree with your gabbage but at the same time your opinion is yours let me be clear about that. Hope the police pay you a visit soon if you actually living in Dominica, which I doubt! However just remember the longest rope has and end. Thanks to social media the World knows some Dominicans are radically twisted in their minds. Looking forward to reading about you soon. You can run but you cannot hide”.

      • Green
        May 9, 2012

        Everyone repeat after me…
        Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll! Ganja poll!

      • Ganja Farmer
        May 10, 2012

        Meme Bet Mem Pwell! What do you mean set aside? Isn’t Dread Act still a law In Dominica? Not because we use and cultivate Marijuana means we are stupid to listen to your brainless rambling about coming to the market to sell Herb but we will always continue to plant it and you guys will NEVER stop it. I don’t have to come batter, just check out the laws of the land and you will see for yourself that Dread Act is still a law.

        TRUTH & BALANCE. I am sure about myself, my identity as an herbs man. You however sound like an old, grumpy, retired law officer, hiding behind his computer asking for others to publish their names while you don’t have the audacity to make yours public. Please Sir, check your grammar, spelling and writing skills before you label facts as garbage.

        The end of all of our rope is when we dead and while I am alive, I will continue to advocate for the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana and there is nothing illegal about that (is that what picked a nerve to have you say the police should come visit me?). I guess the 56% of Americans that also want marijuana to be legalize are talking garbage and the police should hunt them down too…… pure old school thinking.

        Man, get of your ass and get with the times, the world is evolving and moving forward while your type still has your head stuck in your ass. I have nowhere to run nor hide, I am just going up to the fields now to give care and produce more of that natural plant that you will NEVER eradicate.
        Use the world wide web and do some research and educate yourself about Marijuana before you make another comment……..please teach us, show us that you understand that it is wrong for a natural plant to be illegal.

        Use the Herb and get a humble thought.

    • HMMM
      May 9, 2012

      illegal is illegal not true so tell me this… under aged drinking is illegal why aren’t the places selling these drinks to minors shut down? Why is that under-aged girl allowed to walk around with a baby on her shoulder like nothing when having sex with someone who is under-aged is illegal? Shouldn’t someone be arrested or charged for this? The fact of the matter is if you so called law abiding citizens are going to enforce the law why not enforce the law? Domestic violence is against the law. Incest is against the law. Buggery is against the law. need i say more? You people act like smoking and selling marijuana is the biggest crime someone can commit but a man having sex with an under-aged girl creates more damage than a man smoking or selling marijuana. Its a shame that you cant open up your own eyes and differentiate between wrong and right. Everything given to you you just swallow it no questions asked. pitiful way to live a life.

      • May 9, 2012

        Clueless did you take time to ponder how the System of our Law works? Clearly you did not. Yes all the illegal or lawlessness you pointed out does exist. Lets educate each other if some one hurt you or abuse you and you choose to keep it to your self and do not report the crime to the proper authorities in order that an investigation be carried out with a hope to deal with the person that did you wrong. Keeping things and not reporting them to the police will not resolve a dam thing. My six month old knows that and if you do not understand that,then we are in deep trouble in Dominica.”SMFH” “UDF”.

  13. 4z
    May 9, 2012

    in europe thats just a warning a small country like dominica whats the point we steal gonna smoke our herbs anyway if you arrest de herbman give him work after the country doe have money you rather he robb u people drinking there rum that not a bad thing to is timre for da to wake up .

  14. Faceup
    May 9, 2012

    Bro ,, Take a small vacation,six months not nothing, dont make that mistake and pay that money

  15. Panonimous
    May 9, 2012
  16. Da Woman
    May 9, 2012

    Man take your jail! If you no sell the weed how you expect to get money. People doing worse than that and they aint being paying no fine.

    Is high time the police and the court realise they dragging the country down. MAybe if you was not a grandbay man you would go free!!!

  17. yow
    May 8, 2012

    the real criminals are the ones walking in with diplomatic immunity (briefcases of money and who knows what else)and not being searched by jack sptrats at the airport!

  18. Justice and Truth
    May 8, 2012

    He should be sent to prison. The amount of money he is charged goes to the Court and subsequently the government. This money could be used for a worthy cause. Will he be able to pay that amount? If not, considering the crime and the amount of money he has to pay, he should be given some years imprisonment; not 6 and 9 months.

  19. anonymous2
    May 8, 2012

    With all the theft going on on this island, I would think that the police would have something better to do than run after joint smokers. But that is globalism for you.

  20. Anonymous
    May 8, 2012
  21. WAITUKUBULI
    May 8, 2012

    :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: Are these guys gonna carry on all the days of their lives in these activities?What’s the legacy is he leaving for the youths.My brethren seek JAH and start living clean,stop making yourself a victim of babylon! :?:

  22. Gypsy
    May 8, 2012

    Don’t post my comments because I know the truth does hurt. How you can pass the crack shop straight on the way to market and don’t see the lazy worthless boyz destroying the country! We all know why you don’t see. Can’t you see Mr.is a hard working man strong as a lion? Don’t worry you can’t keep a good man down. who JAH bless no man curse.

  23. deesseafricaine
    May 8, 2012

    an :-D d the man with coke got a smaller fine. smh legalize it. it doesnt cause harm to anyone

    • Justice and Truth
      May 8, 2012

      It doesn’t harm anyone? You are talking nonsense. Health-wise, it harms those who take it.

      • Anonymous
        May 9, 2012

        @Justice&Truth Health-wise rum cigarette and excessive amounts of paracetmol prescribed by the law does more harm than a single mj cigarette. Lagalize the damn thing man

    • Muta
      May 10, 2012

      open your eyes and see what it does to the youths in society the schoolchildren that is the cause for all those parros.

  24. ganja man
    May 8, 2012

    is why anytime i in them ting dere is just dying people dying for their mouth

  25. aye
    May 8, 2012

    DNO why delete a simple comment i made which is the truth……..was it offensive to anyone when i was referring to myself! Is that a personal attack on certain persons or what? I guess you have the handle and the blade

    • FYI
      May 9, 2012

      DNO does that all the time. If it’s not the truth by their standard they delete it…they do that to me all the time yet they post crap other people write..SMH

  26. Gypsy
    May 8, 2012

    Don’t dig Butaoo, when they finish kill the Rasta man all they will have left to eat is CRACK.

  27. blood
    May 8, 2012

    wow all that for weeed smh while cocaine is a lesser charge….hmmmmm fellas on 30 000 dorllars bail for murder n look now a rasta man payin di samething for weed while america,england n canada issuing medical marijuana…whats the difference between legal drugs n illegal drugs…wow they all are drugs if u ask me lol

  28. john doe
    May 8, 2012

    look pon thei eh $30000.00 bail for plants and $30000.00 bail for stealing a firearm and selling it to a citizen with no permit…. where are we going?

    • LR
      May 9, 2012

      same thing i saying….pure in this country…a gun that was gonna be used to kill and lil weed man growing to provide for himself and look pon !! let him sell his weed and pay the government the 30grand….smh..

  29. watt la
    May 8, 2012

    The nature of this punishment for the use and sale of marijuana is very severe and can be considered as a legitimate crime to literally get money from people who take part in drug activities in order to run the country.Sometimes I ask myself this fundamentally sound question. Is this a system of narcopolitics? The law enforced law for marijuana should be reformed and is a crime.

  30. May 8, 2012

    Tip or no tip he deserve what he got and more, cause he has the nuts to travel to the Roseau market to peddle his drugs “talk about nuts ? That is nuts” for those like him that think the police is out of line my question to those concern. Selling drugs in Dominica is against the law and the police job is to enforce the Law!. The sad thing is the defendant is going to continue to peddle the said drugs in order to pay the fine, those like him should be fitted with a monitoring bracelet to track his every move. :Lets be forward thinking, fighting crime is serious business if not defeated and dented they will start using our children to peddle their poison that is if it is not already happening. Wake up Dominican we all in this together.

    • CANDID
      May 9, 2012

      well said TRUTH &BALANCE.

  31. royal princess
    May 8, 2012

    eric man, i feel sorry, however this is not a crime that you have to feel bad about, ganja is good

    • Anonymous
      May 9, 2012

      I suppose moral degradation and the murder of society and its citizen is nothing to feel sorry about…as you say ganga is good. Idiot!

  32. Me
    May 8, 2012

    Alas my pardner we. Mr. Selling everything from shoes to cabbage..lol…well so it is.

  33. Country
    May 8, 2012

    Don’t worry just now Grand Bay will start another revolution! Unicef still there!

  34. What?!
    May 8, 2012

    I taking the 1 year and 3 months. That is money to buy a car…

  35. May 8, 2012

    Legalize it and tax it. Watch Dominica grow and the tourists will come by the thousands, like Amsterdam.

  36. Grain Sel
    May 8, 2012

    Peoples will do strange things in the name of survival and greed
    At least he got caught,but what about those bureaucrats of our society.

  37. Grain Sel
    May 8, 2012

    Peoples will do strange things in the name of survival and greed
    At least he go caught,but what about those bureaucrats of our society.

  38. May 8, 2012

    What a waste of time, police need to concentrate on the BIG PICTURE, and it isn’t ganja. Ganja helps Dominica stay alive. Hooded masked men that violently rob innocent tourists on the beach, more often than not, the tourist is hospitalized,.. does anyone understand what is the MOST IMPORTANT problem to concentrate on,. the police surely don’t.

  39. Neutral
    May 8, 2012

    It is time that the govt rethink about the penalties handed for the possession of the holy herb. The industrialized nations have now changed such laws and are handing down lighter sentences. I think that’s a lot of money he has to pay. When most murders and coke trafficers get a slap on their wraists.

    Ease up on the holy herb,change the laws on the books, they are inhumane and outdated. The white powder is more lethal.

  40. shatta
    May 8, 2012

    Free d ganga man ,herbs is for the betterment of the country

  41. May 8, 2012

    Oh boy, that’s a hefty fine, some entering our waters with drugs and getting a slap in the face, i am against drugs, but why charge some peanuts and others hefty

    I do hope when that catch the coke dealers they will charge them even more, cause coke is worst drugs destroying our people

    • klass
      May 9, 2012

      true dat like dem vinci men that Ossie charge something like 2 gran for gun posession after a seashowdown with the police.. boy that society hmmm

  42. May 8, 2012

    aye dude sorry you was wrong to go in market to sell weed. u should jus do wat u came out there to do and leave the weed at your place u all putting yurself in too much problems k. but good luck to u k

  43. Country Man
    May 8, 2012

    At some point in human history civilization will come to understand that you can’t make a plant illegal. How does a plant that grows from a seed become illegal and how do you get so many people, institutions and governments around the world to support the position of it being illegal. That has to be one of the biggest brainwashing schemes in human history. I could understand if it was processed into something else – but a plant in its natural state. This is conceptually and morally wrong.
    We have spent generations fighting it costing trillions of dollars yet it keeps thriving. The powers to be need to examine their priority with regards to ganja.
    The funny part of all this is that most of the people supporting the current ganja policy claim to be God fearing people – How can you fear God and despise God’s creation? HYPOCRITES

    • HMMM
      May 9, 2012

      I totally agree with you. i have seen more lives damaged by alcohol (legal drug) than marijuana. All over the television you see ads where they warn about the harmful effects of cigarettes yet they still sell in the shops. all they do is put a warning sign on the box saying cigarette smoking kills. when will people open their eyes and see that labor slavery was abolished but not mental slavery. For us as human beings to still believe that marijuana a plant is a bigger problem than cigarettes and alcohol and prescription drugs its a shame. Age brings reasoning and i would like to believe that as the years go by we as a people are becoming wiser. we should stop living our lives as though we don’t know better. because we should know better than to believe a plant is more harmful than man made drugs. smdh

    • R
      May 9, 2012

      110% in agreement with this comment.when purifying fire start to blaze they will humble themselves and accept JAH works.

  44. Root Natty
    May 8, 2012

    I hope they use the money to fix the roads

  45. May 8, 2012

    MAN ,YOUR FAMILY MUST ADVISE YOU TO ACCEPT THE PRISON TERM INSTEAD BECAUSE SUCH A SUM OF MONEY FROM A SELF EMPLOY MAN ,AS A GANJA PLANTER …THE SOURCE OF INCOME YOU HAD WAS CUT OFF BY THE GOV’T IN OTHER WORDS IT IS A CRIME FOR THEM WHY SHOULD THEY WANT THE CRIME MONEY? GOV’T DECIDED THAT GANJA IS A DRUG BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT LEGALIZED IT,SO THERE IS NO TAX COMING FROM THE PLANTERS THAT IS EXACTLY WHY PEOPLE ARE PUNISHED FOR IT …..

  46. slow
    May 8, 2012

    take the 6 months, why pay all that drug money

  47. slow
    May 8, 2012

    take the 6 months, pay all that

  48. GEORGR
    May 8, 2012

    LEGALIZED THE DAMMN DRUG STUPESSS

    • yow
      May 8, 2012

      it ain’t a drug!

  49. Anonymous
    May 8, 2012

    Sorry dude, they had a search warrant. You don’t have have much of a defense.

  50. wow
    May 8, 2012

    ok what the hell if you catch the man in the market with weed what business you have going all the way to his home in grand bay and look for more that is not fair and then they saying people bad Roseau and look at all the way grand bay be and all u go right there at the ,am home that is just now dun wrong weed is not drugs

    • law enforcement
      May 8, 2012

      YES GANJA LOVER, U HAVE NOTHING TO SAY SHOT UP! U SPEAK AS A FOOL SPEAKETH.

    • Anonymous
      May 9, 2012

      You must have decided to skip class on the day that the teacher was teaching “WHAT IS A DRUG”. I mean only a real dumb person would say weed is not a drug…even a simple vicks inhaler is constituted as a drug. Perhaps you need to redo high school or even primary school education or better yet pick up a dictionary or while making stupid comments on DNO research what is a drug…No wonder society is the way it is….Don’t have kids please!

      • May 9, 2012

        hmm why do they have drug stores?so people can make money.weed is a herb,categorise as drug,
        most people call toothpaste,”colgate”by the time you will find out it will be too late.
        like all the time you drinking ice cold drinks with your food, you think it good.
        is not what you say that’s the point
        it is what it is, like it or not,
        this is not the first good thing that have been prosecuted,and it not be the last.

  51. lexx
    May 8, 2012

    my problem with the court system is they accept the same drug money as payment for the fine.That in itself is a crime to me. they should have the convicted felons work on projects and community service instead

    • May 8, 2012

      i soo agree with your comment lex.

    • R
      May 9, 2012

      bcuz its just a money making thing.these ppl dont want crime to stop nor do they want ganja to stop being grown.they know dca is the land for that so as long as its grown they have money comin in to their system.police,lawyers,judges want crime/criminals just as doctors want sick ppl.how else are they going to get paid.think about it..

  52. Anonymous
    May 8, 2012

    my problem with the system is the same drug money that has to be used to pay the fine.Dirty money is dirty money it should not be accepted, rather have them work on projects and community service to pay the fine.

  53. haha
    May 8, 2012

    look things i never no mister still doin dat

    • TRUTH
      May 8, 2012

      :lol: :lol: :lol:

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