Canadian soldier guilty of drugging comrades with cannabis cupcakes
A Canadian soldier accused of drugging comrades with cannabis-laced cupcakes during a live-fire training exercise has been found guilty by a military judge.
Sandra Cogswell was convicted on eight counts of administering a noxious substance and one count of behaving in a disgraceful manner. Her case marks the first time in Canada that a soldier has been found guilty of administering cannabis to colleagues without their consent.
Commander Sandra Sukstorf, the judge presiding over the court martial, called Cogswell’s behaviour “shockingly unacceptable” and that her actions could have resulted in the death of colleagues.
Cogswell, who has served in the Canadian military since 2011, was working in the canteen during the multiweek “Exercise Common Gunner” at a military base in Gagetown, New Brunswick, in July 2018, part of the Royal Canadian Artillery School’s officer training.
In video testimony, Cogswell told military police that she made chocolate cupcakes for her fellow soldiers but denied adding any cannabis.
During the trial, however, the military court heard that five soldiers at the live fire exercise tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). A wrapper from one of the cupcakes also indicated the presence of THC.
The court heard troubling details of the soldiers’ reaction to the cupcakes.
One incorrectly set timing fuses on explosives, another improperly loaded a weapon and a gunner walked in front of a howitzer. A soldier almost crashed his military truck and others say they were overcome by laughter.
Charges of neglect to the prejudice of good order and discipline were withdrawn before the trial began.
Last week, Sukstorf rejected a request from Cogswell’s legal team to acquit her of the charges, which the defense warned relied on “extremely circumstantial” evidence.
But Sukstorf cited inconsistencies in statements Cogswell gave to police and the fact that Cogswell not only made the cupcakes, but also had access to medical marijuana at the time, which she used as a sleep aid. Canada legalized cannabis for recreational use in October 2018, three months after Cogswell was accused of making the cupcakes.
Under Canada’s criminal code, Cogswell faces a maximum of five years in prison and “dismissal with disgrace” from the military under the National Defence Act.
Cogswell is due back in court for sentencing on 16 November.