A man caught smuggling more than $10,000 worth of cannabis claimed he needed the drug to alleviate his own mental health problems, a court heard.

Defence lawyer Llewellyn Peniston said Jamal Manders imported 103.2 grams of the drug for his own personal use. Mr. Peniston told Magistrates' Court Manders suffered from schizophrenia, but that cannabis alleviated his "uncontrollable shaking".

Manders, a 38-year-old construction worker, pleaded guilty to importation of the drug at a hearing yesterday. He denied possessing cannabis resin with intent to supply.

Crown counsel Kae Thomas said Manders was caught with the drugs by a sniffer dog at L.F. Wade International Airport, after arriving on a flight from Jamaica on January 3.

"Whilst in the Customs control line, a dog sniffer alerted Customs officials to his luggage," she said.

"During a search of his luggage, two objects wrapped in red tape were found concealed in the handles of his luggage."

Asked what they were, Manders replied, "I don't know."

However, when the items revealed a "brown substance" and he was asked what it was, Manders replied: "It's gum, marijuana".

A Government analyst report concluded the contents to be 103.2 grams of cannabis.

Ms Thomas said if this was broken down into 206 'blocks' of 0.5 grams, this would equate to a street value of $10,300.

Mr. Peniston asked Magistrate Archibald Warner to consider a Social Inquiry Report before sentencing.

"My client has been candid about his involvement in this matter from the outset," he said.

"The defendant is under some serious psychological challenges. There has been a prior diagnosis of schizophrenia which results in uncontrollable shaking, and marijuana has had a sedating effect."

Mr. Warner however, refused a Social Inquiry Report. He adjourned the case until Thursday for sentencing, and remanded Manders in custody.