WSJ on what has to be our favorite story of the week …
MONTGOMERY VILLAGE, Md.—It was a pot party with a twist. The cops were hosting.
“Have some fun,” Montgomery County Police Lt. John O’Brien urged the 10 marijuana enthusiasts who had brought joints, blunts, edibles, vape pens and at least one bong to the public-safety training academy in this suburban Maryland county.
Soon the aroma of weed filled a white tent. A clutch of police officers stood watching.
The vibe was chill. The police supplied chips for the munchies and pizza for dinner. Their purpose, though, was sober: to show officers what marijuana impairment looks like, and the stoners how the drug can mess with their driving.
The police call it a green lab. Participants have two 30-minute periods to get high. After each one, they are ushered into classrooms for a battery of field sobriety tests, such as walking in a straight line—or trying to.
Savoring a joint inside the tent, Tiara Artis, 29 years old, said she was happy to do her part. Like her fellow participants, she has a state-issued medical marijuana card, which makes it legal for her to consume pot.
Ms. Artis said she had another reason for showing up: “Honestly, just for the opportunity to smoke in front of the cops without anything happening to me,” she said. “It’s a little strange, but I’m also used to doing strange things because I’m a strange person.”
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