A Canadian man who works in Singapore has been jailed for 16 weeks after trying to enter the country with a cannabis vape pen that contained tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

According to a report from TODAY, 29-year-old Daniel Moher was gifted the pen, which contained 0.35 grams of liquid, by a friend in Canada. Moher then attempted to conceal it inside a deodorant bottle when he returned to Singapore.

The court heard that Moher has been grieving the loss of another friend and was consuming cannabis to cope.

Despite the circumstances, the judge said the court was required to “send the right signal that those who bring into Singapore controlled drugs, even though the possession is legal elsewhere, will not be let off with a slap on the wrist.” The judge added that that the sentence was “neither unduly harsh nor lenient.”

Moher faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of S$20,000 ($19,300).

His lawyer, Wendell Wong, said that Moher made the mistake “in the context of a very difficult period of time for him, where he had just suddenly lost his best friend in Singapore, whom he considered like a baby brother to him.”

Wong also added that Moher could have pursued a legal question as to the weight of the vape liquid, but “chose not to do so in order to save court resources.”

Addressing the judge, Moher said, “I don’t have much else to say other than echoing Wendell’s thoughts. I made a mistake; I am very sorry and very ashamed of it. But I have no excuses and I’d like to just get on with my life.”

The Canadian government warns against travelling with cannabis.

“Don’t bring it in. Don’t take it out. It remains illegal to take cannabis or any product containing cannabis — including edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals — across the Canadian border. Doing so can result in serious criminal penalties both at home and abroad,” the government notes in a travel advisory.

Singapore has some of the toughest drug laws in the world. Trafficking, import or export of more than 500 grams of cannabis may result in the death penalty, according to Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act.