Cannabis and its synthetic forms are legal in some U.S. states but are banned for U.S. service members and in South Korea under the Narcotics Control Act. (Department of Defense)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — A South Korean court handed a suspended sentence to an American soldier convicted of smuggling synthetic cannabis into the country via military mail.

The service member, identified only as a 27-year-old soldier assigned to Camp Henry, received a three-year sentence from a three-judge panel in Daegu District Court on Nov. 22, according to the written verdict and court staff.

The judges suspended the sentence for five years, meaning the soldier remains free unless he commits another offense in South Korea during that time. He was also fined roughly $330.

Just ahead of his sentencing, the soldier was found guilty of purchasing 0.33 ounces of synthetic marijuana from a U.S.-based website on four occasions starting on Dec. 15, 2023, the verdict states. The judges determined the cannabis arrived in the country through the U.S. military’s postal service.

South Korean law enforcement agencies and courts typically do not identify defendants except in extreme cases, such as homicide.

The soldier said he suffered from a sleep disorder and stress from a divorce, and purchased the cannabis after seeing advertisements claiming its ingredients could help him rest, the verdict reads.

Cannabis and its synthetic forms are legal in some U.S. states but are banned for U.S. service members and in South Korea under the Narcotics Control Act.

Drug possession in South Korea carries a maximum sentence of five years or a fine of roughly $38,200. Trafficking narcotics carries a minimum five-year prison term.

The judges’ verdict noted that they believe the cannabis was for the soldier’s personal use, not for distribution, and that he did not have a criminal record in South Korea.

It’s customary in South Korea that some government officials speak to the media on condition of anonymity.