Hi everyone. This is my first post. Let me know if this is the wrong place to post this.
My friend and I were driving home on the freeway when we ran into an unbelievable amount of traffic. We decided to take side streets home instead. In the trunk of my car was a total of twelve ounces of medical marijuana sealed in a large jar. We are both legally allowed to carry eight ounces each. It is unbelievably cheaper to buy in bulk as opposed to purchasing small quantities for ridiculous prices. So two to three times a year my freind and I stock up for the next four to five months. This way, we are able avoid finnancial suicide, eliminate the stress of driving to unsafe dispenciaries on a daily basis, and most importantly reduce the risk of being pulled over and dealing with officers who aren't familiar with proposition 215. The stress of running out of medicine is also eliminated as well. This is the preffered method of purchase that my physician and most others reccommend. Most problems with police regarding medical marijuana occur in vehicles. It makes sense to reduce the number of times you drive with medicine in the car in order to reduce your chances of getting caught with it, legally or not. In this particular incident, my friend and I were not so fortunate.
As we were making our way down Whittier Blvd. in the "lovely" city of Montebello, wearing seat belts, obeying the speed limit, and our medicine sealed in the trunk. We noticed a large SUV flashing a siren behind us. We immidiately pulled into a Wallgreens parking lot and were surrounded by at least five other vehicles. Seconds later, about ten different men in street clothes ran up to my car with guns drawn screaming at us to put our hands in the air. (From this point on we were dealt with very aggressively, as to which we did absolutely nothing to provoke. We were in fact extreemely honest and up front with everything that was asked of us). After we were forcefully pulled out of the car, we were asked if we had any drugs or weapons in the car. I replied that both my friend and I did in fact have marijuana in the trunk, and that we are both valid patients with documentation available. They also found my friend's rent money ($1000 in cash) which they assumed was from a transaction. They also found a sheet of paper with notes about various marijuana strains, dispenciaries, prices, and other patient friends of mine. Things were not looking very good at this point. After an hour of aggressively interrogating us to hopefully coax some sort of a confession to sale of the marijuana, we were consistent with the truth. Then, we hoped to have the most perplexing question of them all answered as to why were even pulled over. They replied to this question by mentioning "What are two white guys doing driving down Whittier Blvd." And that we fit the racial profile of a heroin investigation they had been conducting during the same time- frame. They then explained to us that it would be a "waste of their time" to officially charge us, because they figured we would hire good lawyers that would raise the court fees. So they came up with the conclusion that they would confiscate the marijuana, my friend's rent money, and any other incriminating evidence, tow my car, arrest and release us after their department booked us. They told my friend that if he could prove that his cash had been obtained legally i.e. (a bank receipt), and we worked the case out with them, it would be returned. The medicine however, would not. After my friend and I were released we came to the conclusion that we had been victims of a dirty detective unit trying to come up on some out of place white boys.
Six weeks later I called the detective branch of the Montobello Police Department to aquire information about the arrest. As I try to start my carreer as a teacher, it is necessary to know if I have a criminal record or even a pending investigation on my file. I spoke to the head of the department and he informed me that there was nothing on file for me at this point, and that it usually doesn't take this long to process. He also mentioned that he was not the arresting officer, and that he doesn't know if I was only half booked. Although after he reviewed whatever information he had access to, and based on the brief account of the story I gave him, he would not expunge my case if I requested. I am worried that it was a mistake to call and remind him of the event that took place, and if this situation will now all of suddan appear on my record due to this phone conversation. Was my friend and I just hustled for our high quality medicine and cash? Have I awakened a sleeping giant that will ultimately cause me problems in the future? Upon graduating college last year, I have already moved out of the state, not as a result of what took place, but for a previously arranged employment opportunity. Can this affect me outside of CA?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and respond. I really appreciate it.
My friend and I were driving home on the freeway when we ran into an unbelievable amount of traffic. We decided to take side streets home instead. In the trunk of my car was a total of twelve ounces of medical marijuana sealed in a large jar. We are both legally allowed to carry eight ounces each. It is unbelievably cheaper to buy in bulk as opposed to purchasing small quantities for ridiculous prices. So two to three times a year my freind and I stock up for the next four to five months. This way, we are able avoid finnancial suicide, eliminate the stress of driving to unsafe dispenciaries on a daily basis, and most importantly reduce the risk of being pulled over and dealing with officers who aren't familiar with proposition 215. The stress of running out of medicine is also eliminated as well. This is the preffered method of purchase that my physician and most others reccommend. Most problems with police regarding medical marijuana occur in vehicles. It makes sense to reduce the number of times you drive with medicine in the car in order to reduce your chances of getting caught with it, legally or not. In this particular incident, my friend and I were not so fortunate.
As we were making our way down Whittier Blvd. in the "lovely" city of Montebello, wearing seat belts, obeying the speed limit, and our medicine sealed in the trunk. We noticed a large SUV flashing a siren behind us. We immidiately pulled into a Wallgreens parking lot and were surrounded by at least five other vehicles. Seconds later, about ten different men in street clothes ran up to my car with guns drawn screaming at us to put our hands in the air. (From this point on we were dealt with very aggressively, as to which we did absolutely nothing to provoke. We were in fact extreemely honest and up front with everything that was asked of us). After we were forcefully pulled out of the car, we were asked if we had any drugs or weapons in the car. I replied that both my friend and I did in fact have marijuana in the trunk, and that we are both valid patients with documentation available. They also found my friend's rent money ($1000 in cash) which they assumed was from a transaction. They also found a sheet of paper with notes about various marijuana strains, dispenciaries, prices, and other patient friends of mine. Things were not looking very good at this point. After an hour of aggressively interrogating us to hopefully coax some sort of a confession to sale of the marijuana, we were consistent with the truth. Then, we hoped to have the most perplexing question of them all answered as to why were even pulled over. They replied to this question by mentioning "What are two white guys doing driving down Whittier Blvd." And that we fit the racial profile of a heroin investigation they had been conducting during the same time- frame. They then explained to us that it would be a "waste of their time" to officially charge us, because they figured we would hire good lawyers that would raise the court fees. So they came up with the conclusion that they would confiscate the marijuana, my friend's rent money, and any other incriminating evidence, tow my car, arrest and release us after their department booked us. They told my friend that if he could prove that his cash had been obtained legally i.e. (a bank receipt), and we worked the case out with them, it would be returned. The medicine however, would not. After my friend and I were released we came to the conclusion that we had been victims of a dirty detective unit trying to come up on some out of place white boys.
Six weeks later I called the detective branch of the Montobello Police Department to aquire information about the arrest. As I try to start my carreer as a teacher, it is necessary to know if I have a criminal record or even a pending investigation on my file. I spoke to the head of the department and he informed me that there was nothing on file for me at this point, and that it usually doesn't take this long to process. He also mentioned that he was not the arresting officer, and that he doesn't know if I was only half booked. Although after he reviewed whatever information he had access to, and based on the brief account of the story I gave him, he would not expunge my case if I requested. I am worried that it was a mistake to call and remind him of the event that took place, and if this situation will now all of suddan appear on my record due to this phone conversation. Was my friend and I just hustled for our high quality medicine and cash? Have I awakened a sleeping giant that will ultimately cause me problems in the future? Upon graduating college last year, I have already moved out of the state, not as a result of what took place, but for a previously arranged employment opportunity. Can this affect me outside of CA?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and respond. I really appreciate it.
