Will Sheriffs Babysit Your Marijuana?

We'll be back in 15 minutes, man...

​San Francisco Sheriff Mike Hennessey does not want to bother busting you for pot. He's said so himself. But does that mean you can overtly tote your marijuana right past sheriff's deputies and into City Hall, the Hall of Justice, or other city structures?

You bet it does! Sort of.

The written policy the sheriffs follow is a far cry from the mindset of cuff 'em and stuff 'em:

No drugs are allowed in the building and those attempting to bring them in are subject to arrest. The only exception is for those individuals who are authorized to possess medical marijuana and have amounts which comply with their authorization.

Meaning, yes, those with marijuana cards are allowed to waltz into the building with their stash intact. Marijuana lawyer Bruce Margolin -- yes, his website is www.1800420laws.com, and, yes, "Legalize It" is his hold music -- says San Francisco's policy is most beneficent. "I think it's very considerate," the Los Angeles attorney notes. "They recognize and honor the law."

Down in L.A., Margolin recalls, pot luminary Jack "The Hemperor" Herer was not always so fortunate when he wandered through courthouse metal detectors.



But will the city's sheriff's babysit your pot? Your humble narrator watched a nebbish wander through the Hall of Justice detectors with a small bag of weed -- an event the sheriff on duty referred to as an "everyday" occurrence. The gent said he'd be back in 20 minutes, and the pot was left on a sheriff's desk.

Sadly, it is not known if the man returned for his prize. I had business in the building other than loitering around a gaggle of increasingly hostile deputies -- who took to calling me a "Nosy Rosy." Days later, one of the deputies claimed the pot "went downstairs."

Odds are, the idiot who formerly possessed it did not follow.

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