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Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man last Friday who was illegally transporting over 1,000 marijuana plants on highway I-5 near the town of Weed, California. Seriously.
KOBI-TV News reports that the man, from Sacramento, was driving a white Mercedes Transit van on I-5 when a deputy from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office noticed him repeatedly swerving over the fog line.
“As the swerving continued, the Deputy activated his emergency lights and siren, but the driver of the van failed to pull over, continuing along I-5 for three miles before eventually coming to a stop,” the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post.
“In the rear compartment of the van, the deputy discovered 1,021 rooted marijuana plants, which lacked the required transportation paperwork from the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC).
“The driver, Yung Fai Sze, 53, of Sacramento, was asked where he intended to take the marijuana. Sze stated ‘Oregon’ but would not elaborate further on the final destination. Sze was then arrested and booked in the Siskiyou County Jail for the illegal transportation, and possession of marijuana for sale, along with evading a peace officer.”
The restraint taken by whoever in the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office that wrote the Facebook report to not mention that the seizure of over 1,000 illegal marijuana plants took place near the town of Weed is actually rather impressive. So is the fact that the local news report also didn’t include any “weed” jokes.
According to the city of Weed’s website, “Weed, California is nestled at the base of Mount Shasta in the Cascade Mountains and half way between San Francisco and Portland. The community is surrounded by natural beauty, breathtaking vistas, and unmatched outdoor recreation. The City is a historic lumber town which has retained much of its early 1900’s charm, while transitioning into a tourist destination. An easy one-hour drive north of Redding on Interstate 5 brings you to our home where you may enjoy abundant lakes and rivers, beautiful forests, wildlife, scenic drives, local art, festivals, live music, and a friendly community.”
And no, the name Weed does not come from marijuana. It was actually named after the founder of the local lumber mill Abner Weed, who purchased 280 acres of land in what is now the city of Weed for $400 in 1897.