American rapper Vic Mensa has pleaded guilty to being in possession of a controlled substance.
Kendra Glover, a rep for the Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney told TMZ that Mensa pled guilty to one count of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance (which is a Class 1 misdemeanor) after striking a deal with prosecutors.
Part of the plea deal he got was 12 months in jail, but that was suspended; meaning instead of serving it behind bars, he'll have a year of unsupervised probation.
Mensa will also have to take a substance abuse assessment, perform 25 hours of community service, and pay a $1k fine. BTW, he'll get 50 percent off that fine if he successfully completes the other probation terms.
The rapper was arrested in January at Dulles International airport for going through customs with a stash of shrooms.
"Speaking to TMZ, Mensa said;
"In this case, I have decided to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge. I have been extremely vocal about my mental health, the culture at large and access to mental health treatment. It is important to note the extensive research being done on the topic of psilocybin [shrooms] and the many significant movements underway for legalization and decriminalization.
"Esteemed universities such as Johns Hopkins, University of California, NYU, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and The Imperial College of London have all immersed themselves in years-long research programs with full departments and centers dedicated to this work. Unfortunately, our laws have not kept up with the research showing that psychedelic plants and compounds can be successfully used to treat otherwise treatment-resistant mental illness.
"I have contributed positively to many communities and will continue to do so with this case. My hope is that the silver lining to this matter will be increased focus on the effectiveness of psychedelics to treat mental illness and mood disorders that millions are battling with depression and anxiety with hope that all of our laws will change accordingly.
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