DENPASAR, Bali — An American tourist told investigators she brought cannabis to Bali for personal use to help relieve anxiety linked to chronic back pain, but now faces up to 15 years in prison under Indonesia’s strict narcotics laws.

At a hearing in Denpasar District Court on Tuesday, prosecutors said Tyeisha Kieonne Parks, 38, was found carrying 36.71 grams of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis.

According to the indictment, Parks said the cannabis was intended solely for her own use during her holiday in Bali. She told investigators it helped ease anxiety caused by chronic lower back pain she has suffered since 2021.

Prosecutors charged Parks under Indonesia’s Criminal Code and the Narcotics Law, including provisions covering the unlawful possession of Category I narcotics. If convicted on the most serious charge, she could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The court heard that Parks arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on April 21, 2026, with her partner, Joshua Anania Murphy. During routine baggage screening, customs officers noticed suspicious items inside her suitcase after it passed through an X-ray scanner.

A subsequent search allegedly uncovered two packages containing dried cannabis. One was stored inside a plastic bottle labelled Peach Crescendo and weighed 13.88 grams, while another plastic package contained 22.83 grams, bringing the total net weight to 36.71 grams, prosecutors said.

Customs officials later notified the Bali Police’s Narcotics Directorate, which took over the investigation.

According to prosecutors, Parks admitted purchasing 50 grams of cannabis in the United States for US$200 on April 14, 2026. She allegedly told investigators she smoked between three and five joints a day from April 14 to April 20 before packing the remaining cannabis into a bottle and plastic bag and placing them inside her luggage for the trip to Indonesia.

Indonesia enforces some of the world’s toughest drug laws, and cannabis remains illegal for recreational use. Foreign nationals convicted of narcotics offences can face lengthy prison sentences.

The trial is ongoing, and the court has not yet delivered its verdict.