OFF THE WIRE
Knowing what stoners will pay attention to, the department is including reminders with the snacks about the city's marijuana rules.
By Kim Peterson
Marijuana is now legal in Washington, and the Seattle police have been
remarkably mellow about the whole thing.
In fact, the city's Police Department plans to be at Hempfest, what has become the largest pot rally in the world. And they're taking bags of Doritos in case anyone, you know, gets a little hungry.
It was enough of a gesture for The Atlantic to call Seattle cops "the most lovable police force in the country."
The snack-sized bags of chips will remind festival attendees that there are still some rules in the city. Mainly, you can possess as much as an ounce of pot, but you can't sell it or grow it without the proper licensing.
Oh, sure, the department could have had an officer in uniform handing out informational leaflets, only to find them being used as last-resort rolling papers. Instead, the department got a little crafty in its choices because, as The Stranger notes, "while stoners have no problem ignoring a leaflet, police recognize that it's nearly impossible to turn down a bag of Doritos."
This is the same department that may have created the best news release in the history of police communications, referred to as "Marijwhatnow?" It contains some straightforward answers to important stoner questions, such as whether the police would return any marijuana seized before legalization began (no), whether police officers can smoke pot (no), and where you can buy the stuff (that's being worked out).
The release ends with a thing of beauty: a clip from "Lord of the Rings" showing Gandalf taking a hit of "Old Toby" and turning the smoke into a ship. Wonder if a wizard eats Doritos.
The Police Department even had a little bit of fun with its own announcement on Twitter. "Please ignore maliciously false reports that we're giving out Bugles at @seattlehempfest," the department wrote. "We would never, ever do that."
Now, if the Seattle Police Department really wanted to win the hearts and minds of pot smokers, it would have dispatched some officers to Japan to collect the newest Doritos flavors on sale there. PepsiCo (PEP -2.22%) is selling "smoke bacon" Doritos and Pepsi-flavored Cheetos, Consumerist reports.
In fact, the city's Police Department plans to be at Hempfest, what has become the largest pot rally in the world. And they're taking bags of Doritos in case anyone, you know, gets a little hungry.
It was enough of a gesture for The Atlantic to call Seattle cops "the most lovable police force in the country."
The snack-sized bags of chips will remind festival attendees that there are still some rules in the city. Mainly, you can possess as much as an ounce of pot, but you can't sell it or grow it without the proper licensing.
Oh, sure, the department could have had an officer in uniform handing out informational leaflets, only to find them being used as last-resort rolling papers. Instead, the department got a little crafty in its choices because, as The Stranger notes, "while stoners have no problem ignoring a leaflet, police recognize that it's nearly impossible to turn down a bag of Doritos."
This is the same department that may have created the best news release in the history of police communications, referred to as "Marijwhatnow?" It contains some straightforward answers to important stoner questions, such as whether the police would return any marijuana seized before legalization began (no), whether police officers can smoke pot (no), and where you can buy the stuff (that's being worked out).
The release ends with a thing of beauty: a clip from "Lord of the Rings" showing Gandalf taking a hit of "Old Toby" and turning the smoke into a ship. Wonder if a wizard eats Doritos.
The Police Department even had a little bit of fun with its own announcement on Twitter. "Please ignore maliciously false reports that we're giving out Bugles at @seattlehempfest," the department wrote. "We would never, ever do that."
Now, if the Seattle Police Department really wanted to win the hearts and minds of pot smokers, it would have dispatched some officers to Japan to collect the newest Doritos flavors on sale there. PepsiCo (PEP -2.22%) is selling "smoke bacon" Doritos and Pepsi-flavored Cheetos, Consumerist reports.