Aust man avoids jail for drugs in Bali

A 32-year-old Australian man found with a small quantity of drugs at Bali's airport in October has been sent to rehabilitation by a judge.

An Australian man detained in Bali after he was found with a small amount of marijuana and antidepressant pills has avoided jail.

Instead the court has ordered Joshua James Baker, 32, to undergo rehabilitation at a local centre.

Joshua James Baker, 32, was found with 36 grams of marijuana and 37 Diazepam antidepressant pills in his luggage at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport after he flew in from Bangkok on October 8.

In the Denpasar District Court on Tuesday, presiding judge Wayan Kawisada said Baker needed rehabilitation because he suffers from depression and bipolar disorder, and is addicted to anti-anxiety medication, the Associated Press reports.

Baker, who was born in Mount Isa in Queensland, was ordered to undergo rehabilitation at the Kasih Kita Foundation in Bali's capital. The 10-month rehabilitation period includes the time Baker has spent in jail since his arrest.