A Pembroke man who admitted having cannabis to make tea has been fined in Magistrates’ Court.

James Trott, 41, pleaded guilty to possessing a controlled drug and drug equipment, specifically a grinder, in his home on June 27 last year.

The court heard that sometime between 1pm and 2pm that day, officers searched the home in connection with an unrelated matter.

Asked if he had any illegal items, Trott said yes and directed the officers to a closet.

Four plants were found inside, along with a quantity of plantlike material on a dresser. Trott said he used the plants to make tea.

Officers also discovered a grinder, which was found to contain trace quantities of cannabis.

Officers seized 22.18 grams of the controlled drug.

Trott told the court he made a bad decision but said the cannabis lacked tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component.

“It wasn’t intended to supply,” he said. “I use it to make tea.

“There’s no THC in it. It’s unsellable. I can’t really do anything else with it.”

Magistrate Archibald Warner fined Trott $800 for the cannabis and another $400 for possessing the grinder.