"The cops come up to you, usually while you’re in a car, and ask you if you’re doing anything you shouldn’t. You say, ?No, officer,? and they say, ?You don’t have anything in your pocket you’re not supposed to have, do you, because if you do and I find it, it’ll be a lot worse for you.? It is at that point, because you are young, nervous, possibly simple, and ignorant of the law, you might comply and take the joint you’d been saving out of your pocket. Then, zam: Suddenly, your protection under the Marijuana Reform Act vanishes because the weed is now in ?public view.? The handcuffs, the paddy wagon, and the aforementioned court date soon follow."
I had this happen to me in the middle of Texas many years ago. 5 of us driving from Albuquerque to Midland/Odessa in an old van filled with potting clay stopped at some temporary check point in the middle of nowhere. I knew one of the others had some pills or something in her purse, so I volunteered my small bag of pot (Mexican, $10 and ounce, those where the days). Cop had me dump it out, he was even poetic in his instructions, "let the wind take it" or something to that effect, and we were on our way. Nice guy, and I really mean that.
Another time I was getting on a plane in the middle of winter, again in Albuquerque. The 'pat you down at the gate' routine was new and I hadn't given the situation the proper attention and had an ounce in my coat pocket. Put the coat on the conveyor and the screener (it wasn't electronic yet) pulled it out, gave me a dirty look and put it back in. But that was Albuquerque, the screeners grandmother probably smoked pot.
Anyway, it helps to be white.
Nice article. Made me nostalgic.
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