[420 Girl]

Australia - NIMBIN Hemp Embassy official Alan Salt was given no diplomatic immunity when he appeared before Lismore Local Court Magistrate Nicholas Reimer on a cannabis charge.

Salt, 57, who gave the popular Nimbin-based embassy as hisaddress, pleaded guilty to having a small amount of cannabis at its Cullen Street office at 4.30pm on January 18.

Police officers with a keen sense of smell were on a footpatrol in the Nimbin township when they walked down the laneway beside the Nimbin Hotel.

A police statement of facts before the court describes the laneway as an area well known for the use and supply of drugs.

At the end of the lane is a door to the rear of the Hemp Embassy where Senior Constable MarkPuglisi stated he noticed ‘a strong smell of smoked cannabis’ coming from the open door leading to the embassy office.

He and another officer both knocked and as they looked through the open doorway they could see a small clear plastic bag on a desk that appeared to hold cannabis.

When the police knocked a second time Salt came to the door.

Salt told the officers that as far as he was aware no one was smoking cannabis in the office or out the back of the embassy.

When Senior Constable Puglisi indicated to the bag of cannabis on his desk, Salt replied it was for his own personal use.

He gave it to the officers and at the Nimbin police station it was found to weigh 12 grams.

Police checks also revealed Salt was not eligible for a cannabis caution.

When asked by Magistrate Reimer if he lived and worked at the Nimbin Hemp Embassy, Salt replied yes.

Reading Salt’s police record, Mr Reimer said it would appear he had not had an offence for a long time, although he did have a long involvement with cannabis.

Mr Reimer fined Salt $500.

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