California Highway Patrol
Authorities in California say what began as a traffic stop for using a phone while driving led to the discovery of more than 200 pounds of cannabis.
The California Highway Patrol Oakland field office said Thursday that at around 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 6, officers stopped a Chrysler SUV traveling westbound on I-80, west of Gilman Avenue, because the driver was on their cellphone.
During the stop, officers “detected a strong odor of cannabis” and saw multiple black trash bags “in plain view in the rear cargo area,” prompting a probable cause search of the vehicle. In the bags, officers found approximately 218 pounds of cannabis…