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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Drugs Block Party Security Reportedly Confiscates Legal Medical Marijuana

Posted by Dominic Holden on Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 5:12 PM

Lena Whittle had just left her job last Sunday evening at a medical marijuana dispensary called the BOTH Collective on 10th Avenue, adjacent to the Capitol Hill Block Party, when she headed through the nearby festival gates. Expecting a routine security check, she handed over her backpack to a female security guard who started to go through the pouches and seized on a bag of marijuana.

"She said that I couldn't take these in with me, referring to my dried medicine," Whittle recalls the guard telling her. Asked to simply have the cannabis returned, the guard refused. Whittle explained that she was carrying her authorization from a licensed state medical professional. "She said that doesn't matter because it's not fully legal," Whittle recalls.

In fact, Washington State law allows legally authorized patients to possess up to "twenty-four ounces of useable cannabis."

Nonetheless, the security guard continued to search the bag, Whittle says, and eventually confiscated approximately eight grams of cannabis worth around $80 and refused to give it back. But does the Capitol Hill Block Party Party even have a policy against medical marijuana possession? Whittle suspects it doesn't.

"I felt like I was taken advantage of and my stuff was stolen from me," Whittle says, explaining that she left the event almost immediately afterward feeling flustered. "I didn't think that something the state says is medicine was a danger to anyone at the block party, but I was treated like a criminal."

Block Party organizers, who hire an independent security firm to work the gates, haven't yet responded to a request for comment. I'll up date this post if I hear back.

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Comments (21) RSS

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At the Gorge this year the idiotic security tried to confiscate my concert piece + baggie of herb. I took it right off their "empty your pockets" table, put it back into my pocket, and walked in saying, "Go ahead and arrest me assholes." Nobody said anything or followed me.

Maybe the block party attendees need lessons on not being pussies?

Posted by Swearengen on July 25, 2012 at 5:21 PM

Or maybe security for CHBP needs a brushup on what is legal. Sue the security firm. Though frankly, I bet the pot went to the security asshole's friends.

Posted by Hawke

on July 25, 2012 at 5:23 PM

Having worked many concerts for csc (yellow shirt event staff). When doing pat down security, anyone with contraband (booze, weed, weapons, etc) were told they could go back to their car and put it away, or dump it in the trash, we didnt confiscate it. Block party guards were looking for free weed, but curious why some who needs medical marijuana needs to bring so much of it into the venue? clearly she was looking to get alot of people stoned to become the belle of the ball.

Posted by Kinison

on July 25, 2012 at 5:34 PM

Breaking news!
Rent-a-cops not lawyers.
Film at 11.

The "security" person was wrong.
But if you don't know your rights AND are willing to face down the "security" people then you will keep losing.

Does anyone have a link to an online page showing the rights and responsibilities of such patients in WA state? Something that can be printed out and laminated and kept in your pocket in case a similar situation arises in the future?

Posted by fairly.unbalanced on July 25, 2012 at 5:38 PM

Well, if they don't confiscate federally illegal drugs then the block party would be liable under the RAVE Act for operating a drug-involved venue, so they were really just covering their asses, right? Does Neumos confiscate medical marijuana?

Posted by NaFun

on July 25, 2012 at 5:39 PM

Why did she leave? Why did she allow the guard to keep it? Both parties to this situation are deserving of the lulz.

Posted by benjammin509 on July 25, 2012 at 5:48 PM

Here's the ACLU Handout in PDF... http://www.aclu-wa.org/sites/default/fil…

Posted by Large Hardon Colluder on July 25, 2012 at 5:57 PM

@6: To go home? And because the guard wouldn't give it back?

Lena's super, duper nice. I hope they at least give her 80 bucks back.

Posted by icouldliveinhope on July 25, 2012 at 5:59 PM

@5:

First of all, if that were the issue, then the guard would have simply denied Ms. Whittle from entering, rather than confiscating her cannabis.

Second, the security guard is a private employee -- a "rent-a-cop", if you will -- and so it is just as illegal for them to possess cannabis. (More illegal, in fact, since the security guard probably does not have a medical marijuana authorization.) If the guard was actually worried about the organization's liability, the proper thing for him to do would have been to detain Ms. Whittle and immediately call the police.

Realistically, the security guard probably went home and helped himself to a bowl or two.

Posted by aleks on July 25, 2012 at 6:00 PM

Also have to wonder why her workplace hasn't trained their employees on the Rights topic.

Posted by Large Hardon Colluder on July 25, 2012 at 6:01 PM

Whittle should have called 911. That's what you do when someone steals your property.

Posted by Westlake, son! on July 25, 2012 at 6:14 PM

@4 Cannabis Defense Coalition has legal guides being distributed to Access Points now. Please check with your local or join CDC for the inside connection.

Posted by pupuguru on July 25, 2012 at 6:32 PM

Even the TSA at SEATAC knows that MMJ is cool. SPD and KCS won't do the arrest
Call 911 for the theft report.

Posted by pupuguru on July 25, 2012 at 6:38 PM

Oh and every event is different, regardless of the posted rules, security will often be given different instructions per event. One example being KISS, we were instructed not to let people get to the stage. If they had most of their body on the stage, trying to wiggle worm the rest of the way, grab their feet and pull them back and toss them back into general admission, if they tried it again, ejected. But for a show like Mudhoney, if patrons managed to get a single hand onto the stage, help them up, let them stage dive. If they decided not to stage dive, then Mudhoneys personal security would have ejected them.

Security are often given clear instructions on what is and isnt allowed into the venue at the beginning of each show and most of the contraband is based on city or state law.

Technically, anyone smoking inside the block party, was in violation of state law that bans smoking in restaurants and venues, doesn't matter if its outdoor. You go to Julias on Broadway, theres a table on the sidewalk thats over 20' from the entrance, but you still cant smoke there, its considered part of the restaurant.

But hey, she works at a marijuana dispensary and can easily get tons of cheap chronic.

Posted by Kinison

on July 25, 2012 at 7:31 PM

Have you ever gone to the pharmacy to pick up your prescription - I don't care if it's penicillin or Percocet - and then gone somewhere else and NOT CONSUMED YOUR DRUGS because maybe you didn't want to take your drugs there, but nor did you want to go all the way home to drop them off before you went to the party? Maybe you could have sold your Percocet to some dumbass teenagers for $10 a pill, or MAYBE YOU NEED THEM FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT. Jesus fucking Christ, legal drugs are legal drugs UNTIL SHE DOES SOMETHING ILLEGAL WITH THEM.

Posted by Breklor on July 25, 2012 at 7:53 PM

eight grams worth $80? That's, what, $10/gram? !?! Motherfucker! Here in sunny SC, I pay about $20/gram and while I don't buy shit, it's hardly medicinal grade.

Posted by The Max on July 25, 2012 at 8:12 PM

This is interesting. I'm pro-pot, but I could also go 3 or 4 hours without my medicine.Yes, I have lived wth chroic pain. Given that you can leave and re-enter at will, why ot keep it in the car?

Posted by thatsnotright on July 25, 2012 at 8:27 PM

the cap hill block party is now 'the man' keeping us down.

:(

Posted by Cassette tape fan on July 25, 2012 at 10:36 PM

Even if the security person were correct, as she's not a law officer herself, her confiscating the cannabis would just make her guilty of illegal possession.

And I bet she didn't have any authorization form with her.

Posted by madcap on July 25, 2012 at 11:39 PM

@17 what if you don't have a car and you don't live near to where you buy your drugs? Like, let's say you live way deep in the Central, but your co-op you feel most safe at, and have been patronizing for a while, is on Cap Hill. Let's also say you have tickets to the block party and after you bus your ass all the way up to the hill, you just want to run your errands and then go to the party? What then?

Posted by More, I Say! on July 26, 2012 at 9:44 AM

@13 Do you have a link or anything to substantiate this? I know that TSA in Oakland will let you through security with a card and medicine, but I thought Seatac TSA was still stopping people.

Posted by gdcv on July 26, 2012 at 3:52 PM