Acting Magistrate Carlisle Greaves stressed the difference between a drug addict and "people who occasionally use something" as he considered sending a man to Drug Court in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Al Rashid Ebbin, 20, of Curving Avenue in Pembroke, appeared before Mr. Greaves charged with possession of crack cocaine and cannabis in the increased penalty zone of Somerset Road, within 100 metres of Somerset Primary School, on November 11 of last year. This was his first offence before Magistrates' Court.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke told the court Ebbin was caught by Police with 3.92 grams of marijuana and 1.25 grams of 76 percent crack cocaine around 8.30 that night.

He pleaded guilty to both offences, electing Magistrates' Court for his trial. Duty counsel Larry Mussenden recommended he be considered for Drug Court, and Ms Clarke had no objections. Ebbin told the court: "I was hoping to go to Drug Court," adding he had a serious problem dealing with his life and was using drugs as a scapegoat instead of dealing with his problems.

He told Mr. Greaves he smoked Jahrose, crack cocaine mixed with marijuana. "I was smoking it for a year and a half," he said.

However Mr. Greaves said: "It doesn't sound like a Drug Court case," he said. "Drug court is for addicts, not for people who occaisonally use a little something.

"It is not an escape for people who commit crimes."

Mr. Greaves pointed out Ebbin had been only using the drug for a year and a half, and had no other convictions. Then, saying once more that it did not sound like a Drug Court matter, he commissioned a Social Inquiry Report into the matter.

Ebbin was bailed in the sum of $1,000 until March 26 when the SIR is expected to be completed.