Watch: Man Sparks a Joint in Courtroom and Smokes It in Front of Judge

(TMU) — A 20-year-old Tennessee man identified as Spencer Alan Boston stuck it to the man—or judge—during a court hearing on a marijuana possession charge by lighting up a joint while in the courtroom while pleading for legalization.

In this case, police didn’t need the ridiculous police state weapon the “smeller amplifier,” which is being used in the Michigan town of Bessemer to help pick up the scent of non-violent cannabis smokers. That’s because the offender just sparked up right in front of their eyes and under their noses.

Boston was called to speak in front of Judge Haywood Barry on a simple drug possession charge, according to the Tennessean. What happened next, surprised the entire courtroom as Boston took out a joint with marijuana in it from his coat and sparked it before going into a rant about legalizing cannabis.

Boston also turned around to the courtroom and spoke to those present. Officers immediately arrested the man, according to Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan.

Many in the courtroom couldn’t contain their laughter during and after the situation, according to Wilson County Sheriff Lt. Scott Moore.

Boston was charged with disorderly conduct and simple possession, according to police. His bond is set at $3,000, according to the jail’s records.

In 2020, legalization efforts appear to be more likely with an additional 18 states, plus Tennessee, that want to push for legalization. Boston’s creative protest comes as Tennessee prepares to vote on a legalization bill. If passed, the bill would allow licensed businesses to sell up to half an ounce of marijuana to people 21 and older.

Tennessee cannabis sales would be taxed by a whopping 12%. According to WZTV, 20% of taxes would go to the state’s general fund, 50% towards education, and 30% towards infrastructure projects.

Boston must have been paying attention because SB1849 was just filed in the Tennessee Senate on Friday by Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis).

Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, but 11 states—Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington—and the District of Columbia have laws on the books legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Ten states also allow for the regulated sale of the plant. Nearly 90 percent of American adults support marijuana legalization, according to a recent poll.

Last year, a key House Committee passed a historic bill the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019—or MORE Act. It passed 24-10 and now heads to the full House and Senate.

If passed, the bill would comprehensively put an end to the federal prohibition of marijuana, removing it from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act. Beyond that, the law would also allow states to enact their own policies on cannabis and give them incentives to clear criminal records of people with low-level offenses—like Boston.

Watch surveillance video of the moment Boston lit up in a Wilson County courtroom

By Aaron Kesel | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com