Auburn police were greeted with an unusual discovery near Placer High School when they stumbled upon 29 mason jars filled with marijuana. According to ABC10, the jars, adorned with the message, "Merry Christmas! Free weed!! Organic + cage free," were resting on a sidewalk, raising eyebrows and safety concerns, particularly given their proximity to the high school and the ongoing Christmas tree sale benefiting the school's music booster club.
Authorities disposed of the cannabis after a resident alerted them to the sidewalk surprise. As reported by ABC10, the police reacted with a mix of humor and reproach, commenting on social media that, "The holidays can be stressful. We get it,” police said on social media. “But leaving a box of ‘free’ marijuana on the sidewalk is not how you spread cheer to the neighborhood. Surprises are for stockings, not sidewalks. Especially, sidewalks near a high school."
Concerns were not only about the legality of the act but also about the unknowns related to the drug's contents. In a statement obtained by KCRA, Sergeant Chris Sanschagrin of the Auburn Police Department conveyed his apprehension, saying, "We don't know what else is in them, if they've been laced with anything. We don't know how old it is. Obviously, it's not okay for young kids to be around it anyway."
Community reactions ranged from disappointment over missing out on the 'free weed' to concern about its impact on minors. An Auburn resident told KCRA, "I think it's bad because there are a lot of kids at Placer [high school], you know, they take it, that's a minor with weed. Not good," Josh Terrell, a parent and band booster, added, "You know, it's that time of the year to be merry, if you will. But maybe not that way around the high school."
The Auburn Police Department is investigating the incident, but currently has no leads on who left the jars. The department has arranged to destroy the marijuana to prevent it from reaching local teenagers.
