Man handed 6-year prison term for marijuana possession

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation upheld a December State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing man to six years in prison after convicting him of possessing marijuana in Amman in June.

The court declared the defendant, who is known to be a drug dealer, guilty of possessing over eight kilogrammes of marijuana on June 29 with the intent of selling the illegal narcotics in the local market.

The SSC handed the defendant a six-year prison term for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD5,000 in fines.

Court documents said the defendant planted marijuana in his backyard and stored a large quantity (8.2 kilogrammes) that was prepared for selling in the local market.

However, Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) agents received a tip about his illegal farming and raided his house.

The defendant confessed to owning the illegal narcotics with the intent of selling it in the local market, according to court papers.  

However, the defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the “SSC prosecution failed to provide solid evidence to implicate his client”.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures while issuing the sentences.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs and, therefore, deserves the punishment he had received,” the higher court said.

In addition, the higher court stated that the crime lab confirmed that the plants that were in the possession of the defendant that was brought for examinations were “indeed marijuana”.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Hayel Amr, Fawzi Nahar, Majid Azab and Nayef Samarat.