A British man arrested in Bali for possessing cannabis oil says he is living a “terrible nightmare” and could face up to 15 years in prison. Pip Holmes, 45, from Cornwall, was detained on 3 December after receiving a small amount of THC oil by post from a friend in Thailand, which he used to treat arthritis pain.
Holmes is one of five people arrested by Indonesian police in Denpasar on suspicion of drug smuggling. Indonesia enforces strict drug laws, with convicted smugglers facing the death penalty. Holmes said police recorded the weight of the bottles as 31g, equating to about 3g of cannabis oil.
“I am guilty under Indonesian law of possession of narcotics, there’s no denying that,” Holmes wrote on a fundraising website seeking $100,000 for legal representation. “Even though medicinal THC is something so widely accepted elsewhere and it was such a small amount, I foolishly crossed the line in a very strict country.”
After six days in a police cell, Holmes was transferred to a rehabilitation facility after his lawyers argued he was a drug user, not a trafficker. He fears he could face five to 15 years in Kerobokan prison, described as one of the toughest in the world. The Foreign Office said it is assisting Holmes and is in contact with his family, lawyer, and Indonesian authorities.
