Marijuana munchies leads to arrest

When the smell of marijuana attracted the attention of a Worthington police officer to a hungry driver parked in front of a deli, he asked about marijuana in the car. The driver hesitated but his passenger piped up and said, “Just give him the weed.”

Colton Baker

Colton Gabriel Baker, 18, of Lyons, was in court yesterday, Tuesday, November 27, charged with operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in the body – a Class C misdemeanor, possession of a controlled substance – a Class A misdemeanor, and possession of marijuana – a Class B misdemeanor.

Baker was arrested in Worthington by Worthington Deputy Marshal Russell Walls late last Monday, November 19.

Officer Walls was pulling up to a curb to park in front of Vest QuikMart Marathon around 9 p.m. that night while two men were getting into a black Chevrolet Cruze passenger car.

Walls said he could smell marijuana when he got out of his patrol vehicle and the closer he got to the car, the stronger the smell.

The car was starting to back out but Walls ordered it to pull back into the parking spot.

Walls reported that when he asked the driver, Colton Baker, if they had any marijuana in the car, the driver hesitated to answer but the passenger, a male juvenile, said, “Just give him the weed.”

Walls said the driver then retrieved a clear plastic bag of marijuana and handed it over.

The two were asked to exit the vehicle and when Baker was checked for weapons, he told the officer he had a container in his pocket that contained Xanax and he didn’t have a prescription for it.

The juvenile was told to contact his parents to come and get him. When they arrived, he was released from the scene.

Baker was transported to Greene County General Hospital for a blood draw then on to jail.

During an interview at the sheriff’s department, Baker allegedly admitted he had eaten between 15 and 20 brownies that had contained marijuana, then 30-45 minutes before driving, smoked marijuana and then got hungry so he drove to the Subway (located inside Vest’s) to get something to eat.