Western Bureau: St Elizabeth resident George Hamilton recently joined the long list of farmers to fall prey to the drug trade’s deceptive lure of easy money.

The 46 year-old accused was caught with 15 pounds of ganja on his way to Barbados on May 28 and was subsequently sentenced to two months imprisonment at hard labour. He was also fined $79,000 for the offence after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

But in his defence, Hamilton told the court that he had decided to join the drug trade to earn money because his crops had been destroyed in the recent heavy rains.

“I know I made a mistake (but) the weather washed out my crops and I made a desperate attempt to (earn money),” he told the court.

But judge Valerie Stephens, who presided over the case, did not accept his explanation.

“A lot of people have been washed out. If every one was to resort to criminal means where would we be? It is not an excuse sir,” she told Hamilton.

For possession of the drug he was fined $15,000 or six months. For dealing in it he was fined $22,000 or three months. And for attempting to export it he was fined $42,000 or three months and sentenced to two months behind bars.

If the fines are not paid, the sentence will run consecutively.

Since the start of the year, there have been an increasing number of farmers, both male and female, who have appeared before the court on drug charges.

They all complained of having been faced with financial worries and said they felt they had no choice but to join the drug trade.