Rapper Snoop Dogg arrested on cannabis charges

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Snoop Dogg perfoming at the Snoop Dogg Supafest 2011.
Image: Eva Rinaldi.

Music celebrity Calvin Broadus (aka Snoop Dogg) was arrested by US Customs and Border Protection on Saturday at the US/Mexico Sierra Blanca highway border checkpoint for illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Customs and Border Protection spokesman Bill Brooks said agents smelled cannabis when doing a routine search of Mr. Broadus's tour bus. "When our officers did a further inspection," he said, "they discovered a small amount of [cannabis] and turned him over to the Hudspeth County sheriff". A local County Judge, Becky Dean Walker, stated the typical punitive measure for an illegal drug paraphernalia citation is up to a $500 mail-in fine.

Mr. Broadus's agent was not available for comment. Mr. Broadus has stated in interviews that he has a prescription for cannabis in the US state of California, for migraines and blurry vision. He has been in trouble with the law in the past, and has had a number of convictions on weapon and drug possession charges. Willie Nelson, another music celebrity, was arrested at the same checkpoint for similar charges in November of 2010. The musicians created a song and music video together about cannabis in 2008, called My Medicine.

Sources