A drone dropped hundreds of little baggies of free marijuana over Tel Aviv’s central Rabin Square on Thursday in an unusual move to promote the legalization of the drug, generating a flurry of activity as passersby rushed to scoop up the offerings.
Two men suspected of flying the drone over the square, which houses the Tel Aviv municipality and is the site of regular protests, were detained shortly afterwards by police for alleged drug trafficking.
The small packets, emblazoned with the phrase, “Free love,” had the contact information for potential customers to buy marijuana through the Telegram app.
“The time has come,” the Green Drone pro-legalization group said on its Telegram web messaging channel. “Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Green Drone sending you free cannabis from the skies.”
Packets dropped from a drone over a main Tel Aviv square. Photo: Israel Police
The drone operators miscalculated the wind and some of the baggies landed in a children’s playground but were confiscated quickly, according to a statement released by the police.
Others portions of free marijuana landed in the Ibn Gvirol main boulevard, prompting pedestrians to run into traffic to retrieve them.
“The distribution of a suspected narcotic substance is considered as trafficking a dangerous drug in all respects and the arrested suspects will be investigated accordingly,” a police spokesperson said.
Marijuana possession in small amounts is mostly decriminalized in Israel, but distribution remains a criminal offense. In May, Israel gave the green light to export medical cannabis.
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