Full Breakdown
Rotorua Woman Sentenced for Supplying Cannabis Oil via Facebook
7/12/2026, 4:20:26 AM
Illegal Cannabis Oil Sales and Police Detection
On 6 October 2024, Jennifer Devery responded to a Facebook inquiry from a Napier customer who requested “THC”-containing oil advertised at a three-bottle special for $50. After receiving payment confirmation, Devery mailed the parcel to a NZ Post drop box in Rotorua. NZ Post staff in Napier flagged the package on 9 October 2024 because it “reeked” of cannabis and alerted police. The following day officers searched Devery’s home, uncovering empty cannabis-oil capsules, cash totaling $3,635 (mostly $50 notes) in a Nike bag, and additional capsules stored in a dresser drawer and under her mattress.
Business Operations and Motivations
Devery ran the Facebook page “CBD New Zealand,” advertising cannabis oil alongside legal natural-health balms. Between 18 Oct 2023 and 17 Oct 2024 she served roughly 521 customers nationwide, receiving $32,445.50 in cash deposits; a further 57 customers placed orders from 18 Oct 2024 to 4 Dec 2024 for $4,495.50. While the exact split between illegal oil and legal balms could not be determined, the court accepted that illegal cannabis oil comprised more than half of the operation. Devery said she began selling after her sister-in-law’s cancer diagnosis and death, noting that many buyers were “people that couldn’t afford legit medication.”
Sentencing and Judicial Remarks
Auckland District Court Judge John Bergseng sentenced Devery to 20 months’ imprisonment, reduced to 14 months for time on restricted bail, and then commuted to seven months’ home detention. The judge highlighted her “genuine motivation,” extensive rehabilitation, and a “causal connection” between her troubled background, PTSD, and the offending. He noted an eight-year offence-free period and awarded discounts for addiction issues (15 %), remorse (15 %), and her guilty plea (25 %).
Verbatim Quotes
- “You know, a lot of people out there dying. The people that I sold to had cancer, had arthritis, unwell kids, [they were] people that couldn’t afford legit medication.” — Jennifer Devery
- “You’ve taken every opportunity, you’ve made the most of it, you’ve taken up the study opportunities, and you’re working towards a mental health and addiction qualification,” — Judge John Bergseng
- “They’ve been without me for 14 months, 15 months if you count jail,” — Jennifer Devery
- “[It was] full of mental health, full of my maemae, full of trauma, full of hurt, you know, a lot of unwellness in there,” — Jennifer Devery
- “Get them out of prison and start helping them heal,” — Jennifer Devery
