A 21-year-old man has admitted having cocaine.

Ryan Furbert, of St George’s, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court this morning to being possession of 0.4 grams of the drug on May 24.

Prosector Garrett Byrne said Furbert was stopped and searched by police on Chancery Lane in Hamilton, and a white substance was found in his right rear pants pocket.

Furbert, who said he was unemployed after being laid off, was then arrested and the powder was later identified as cocaine.

“Do you have a problem with drug use?” asked Magistrate Juan Wolffe. “Do you use cocaine?”

“Never in my life,” Furbert replied. “Though I do smoke a bit.”

Furbert said he had been drinking that day and only remembered waking up in the police station.

“I was drinking, it was a wild night,” he said. “I don’t think I have a problem. I don’t drink no more.”

Mr Wolffe told him he potentially had problems with alcohol, cocaine and cannabis, especially since he had previous convictions related to drugs.

“You make me sound like a drug addict,” Furbert said.

“There’s no shame in being a drug addict,” Mr Wolffe said. “That’s what’s happened.

“You wake up in a police station without knowing how you got there. You’ve got to stop this.

“You’ve got a problem and a problem that can get worse. If you don’t address it you might find yourself dressed in orange next time.”

Mr Wolffe referred Furbert to Drug Treatment Court and ordered a BARC (Bermuda Assessment and Referral Centre) and social inquiry report.

“I can’t make you choose it,” Mr Wolffe said. “If not I proceed to sentencing. What this will be I don’t know but with previous convictions imprisonment is a possibility.”

Furbert was released on $1,000 bail and must appear in Drug Treatment Court tomorrow.