Whitney faces court charges

LOS ANGELES - Whitney Houston is to face drug charges after an incident in which she is accused of having 15 grams of marijuana in her possession while at Hawaii's airport.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a $US1000 ($2440) fine.

The singer has often been linked with marijuana use, most notably when she failed to make a scheduled appearance at the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles in March.

Houston's bag was seized in January by an airport employee, but the singer was not arrested because United States airport security staff do not have the authority to detain people.

She left the bag behind at the airport and boarded a flight to San Francisco before police arrived to speak to her.

- NZPA