Law & Politics

D.C. Man Asks Police for His Weed Back, and Gets It, Source: http://assets.hightimes.com/styles/large/s3/British-Man-Leaves-Big-Bag-of-Weed-at-Shop.jpg?itok=nfkxCfDwA man walks into a police station and asks for his weed back — this sounds like the beginning of a joke, but recently in Washington D.C. this actually happened, and thanks to legislation in D.C. the punchline is that he actually gets his weed back.

Under the new law, which took effect on Feb. 26, possession of 2 ounces or less of cannabis in the District is treated as a legal recreational activity, as long as you are 21 years of age or older. The law also permits individuals to transfer cannabis to other persons so long as no money, goods, or services are exchanged.

The week prior to the law’s implementation, the man was arrested in the Sixth District on a charge unrelated to drugs. Upon arrest, police took his possessions which included his belt, money, wallet, keys, and of course the weed he had on him. After he was released from jail the man returned for his belongings.

“This property was less than two ounces of marijuana, and was returned to the arrestee with the other property held at the time of his arrest,” said Gwendolyn Crump, D.C. police department’s chief spokesperson.

“He walked in to recover his property from a recent arrest,” said Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander who had been informed by an eye-witness who saw the event take place. “He walked in and said, ‘I want my property back, and want to make sure I get my weed back’.”

Those are some bold words from a man who was just released from arrest, but I’m sure those of us who have had property confiscated by the police can understand his motivation.

The MPD sent out a document that outlines the Special Order to police officers, so they understand how the new possession laws work. The order states:

A person whose marijuana or marijuana-infused edible goods was seized pursuant to Part IV.D. [Possession of Two Ounces or Less of Marijuana by Persons Appearing to Be Under 21 Years of Age] may seek the return of their property by visiting the station in the District where the marijuana was seized no sooner than 24 hours after the seizure.

This means that if a cop thinks you have over two ounces and arrests you, you’ll get it back when it is proven otherwise. Honestly, how cool is it that people can demand their property back from the authorities? This is certainly legislation weedists can get behind.