It’s gotta be kind of weird for police officers in Washington State now that marijuana is on the up-and-up. Case in point: A judge is ordering cops to give a man’s pot back to him after they seized it during a traffic stop last May. Since then, marijuana in small amounts has become legal, but the cops are still hanging on to the guy’s stash.

A judge in Tacoma told the police yesterday that they had better return the drugs to the man within seven days or they could be found in contempt, reports the Associated Press.

The marijuana changed hands almost a year ago when the man was pulled over for speeding. He was cited for driving without a license and misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Prosecutors dropped the drug charge in December when voters in Washington gave the okay to legalize small amounts of marijuana. Even months after he parted ways with his pot, the man asked for it back and provided proof of medical marijuana authorization.

It sounds like these cops really are having a hard time handing drugs back to the man, as the judge had already told the police to give it back to the man on Feb. 28 of this year, but they refused. Now it’s give it back (in its likely very dried out state) or else.

Wash. judge tells to police to return marijuana seized in traffic stop or else [Associated Press]

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