It is now perfectly legal in California for adults 21 and over to use marijuana as part of their recreational endeavors, but organizers of the infamous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will not be permitting patrons to smoke weed at any of their upcoming shows.
It seems that concertgoers will be forced to rely on old school rules — sneaking pot into the show by way of some intimate body crevasse and then firing it up when the lights go down – when attending the Coachella events slated for later this month (April 14-16 and April 21-23), because event promoter Goldenvoice has forbidden the use of marijuana – even for medical marijuana patients, according to the event’s official website.
What has happened is the event takes place on private property in Indio, which comes with its own set of rules separate to the state of California. So, when organizers say, “no drugs are allowed,” unfortunately this includes our friend marijuana.
“The promoter has a standing right to the property, and they can determine what can and cannot be brought onto the premises,” Indio police Sgt. Dan Marshall told The Press-Enterprise. “(For instance) you have the right to bear arms, but you don’t have the right to bear arms in my house.”
The following appears in Coachella’s Frequently Asked Questions:
“I have a medical marijuana card and need to medicate daily … cool?”
“Sorry bro. Medical marijuana cards are not valid at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Even in 2017 and beyond. If that changes so will this answer.”
There will be “amnesty boxes” positioned at the entrance of the event in an effort to give people an opportunity to dispose of the weed that they may have stashed on their person. Reports indicate that anyone caught smoking marijuana at the festival will be held to state law, which prohibits pot smoking in public areas. However, the worst possible repercussion to a person who knowingly violates this rule is the police would confiscate their weed, slap them with a fine of up to $100 and maybe toss them out of the event. No jail time is possible, as long as the person doesn’t try to start a fight with police.
Perhaps the easiest way around all of this no marijuana business at the upcoming Coachella events is to simply pack a stash of edible pot products as opposed to trying to smuggle in raw flower. It might be relatively easy for security to spot someone smoking a joint out in the open, but there is no way in hell these goons will catch people eating pot candy.
Just be smart and enjoy the show.
[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]
