Busted

In the Dominion of March 11 there is the report of a case in the Magistrate's Court in which a young man was found not guilty on a charge of possession of the "narcotic" cannabis. The cannabis was found in a plastic bag under the accused's mattress, and he explained that he did not know the drug was there. He pleaded not guilty. The mere fact that the drug was found under his bed was not enough to convict him. A similar case occurred recently in Napier; and in Christchurch a person was acquited on his statement that the cannabis in his bag had probably been placed there without his knowledge when he was associating with an "arts festival crowd" in Wellington. Yet most people found in "possession" of Cannabis in similar circumstances plead guilty, and are of course convicted.

The moral is to plead "not guilty". It is hell of a hard to prove possession if you do not admit it.