A 19-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to trying to export ganja to St Maarten, wept quietly after she was fined $61,2000 and sentenced to six months in jail.

Crystal Calvert appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court charged with possession, dealing in and taking steps to export ganja.

The court heard that on the day in question, the accused was preparing to board a flight to St Maarten when the contraband, which weighed a little more than 2.7kg (6 lbs, 5 ounces), was found in her luggage.

Calvert's attorney told the court she had just recently been appointed as the guardian of a two-year-old child by the court. He said she was working a minimum wage job and had been promised $70,000 in exchange for taking the drugs overseas.

Calvert was fined $10,200 or three months for possession, $20,400 or three months for dealing and $30,600 or three months for taking steps to export the drug. She will also have to serve a mandatory six months in jail.