Kasandra Stephens pleaded guilty in a Japanese court to mailing cannabis oil to her son, a U.S. airman on Okinawa, and to possessing weed when she went to visit him in Japan.
Stephens admitted that she mailed a couple of packages to her son’s PO Box after his wife asked for “pens” she could share with a Japanese co-worker, presumably referring to vape pens.
The dutiful mom proceeded to mail a package containing 2.88 grams of cannabis oil, which arrived at Tokyo International Airport in mid-August. Several days later, it was sent to the Kadena Air Force base where Stephens’ son, Sgt. DariusOmar is a military dog handler. Upon arrival, the package was intercepted by local customs officers.
To add to Stephens’, well, ignorance of the law (to put it nicely), she brought more cannabis oil to Japan with her in September when went there to visit her son. She later said in court that she’d brought the cannabis oil unintentionally. One wonders if she’d ever heard of Brittney Griner.
Nevertheless, Stephens was charged with violating Japan’s Cannabis Control Act and Customs Law and has been in jail ever since.
A spokesman for the Kadena Air Base, 1st Lt. Robert Dabbs declined to comment on the case, citing an ongoing investigation. “We can’t confirm the identity of non-SOFA status personnel,” he said by email last week, reported Stars and Stripes. SOFA is the status of forces agreement that outlines the rights and responsibilities of individuals in Japan as part of the U.S. military.
Stephens’ Trial
Tearful during the 2 ½-hour hearing, Stephens apologized and pleaded ignorance of the law. “I’ve made a huge mistake. I am very sorry,” she said, adding that she hadn’t thought of Japanese drug laws when she sent the cannabis oil. She figured that only U.S. law would apply because she was sending marijuana from the United States to a U.S. military base.
Stephens’ sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 2. Prosecutors are asking the court for two years, while Stephens and her lawyer are seeking a suspended sentence and time served.
“I would like a suspended sentence,” Stephens said in court. “I have been in prison since Sept. 27 and I have definitely learned a valuable lesson.”
Meanwhile, her son DariusOmar and his wife Elena are scheduled to appear in District Court on January 30 to face smuggling charges….
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