Two Californian tourists were given suspended sentences in the Palais de Justice for smoking cannabis in the famed Casino Square of Monte-Carlo. Somehow unaware of Monaco’s strict drug laws, the pair were apprehended after police detected the scent of cannabis.
At their immediate trial, the defendants, who were vacationing across Cannes, Saint-Tropez, and Monaco, explained through an interpreter that they used cannabis for medical reasons. In California, medicinal cannabis use is legal, and both claimed it was essential for managing their health conditions.
One defendant, a nearly 40-year-old tech company manager, stated he used cannabis to manage epileptic seizures. The second, a 38-year-old from Los Angeles, cited chronic kidney and back pain.
However, the court questioned the large quantity of cannabis, 139 grams to be exact, alongside 15,000 US dollars and 5,000 euros in cash, and 38 grams of MDMA, an illegal drug even in the US.
The second defendant admitted to bringing the substances from California for personal use, as he had been a regular user since age 14. He also claimed the large sums of cash were due to his profession in waste management, which often involved cash transactions.
Prosecutor Valérie Sagné requested the confiscation of all cash but did not seek prison sentences. Instead, she recommended suspended sentences so the defendants could leave France promptly. The court sentenced the younger man to six months with a 5,000 fine euro, and the elder to four months, both suspended. The court dismissed money laundering charges due to insufficient evidence but confiscated the drugs and cash.
