Today in news of the All Drugs Should Be (At Least) Decriminalized variety, a man who received a 15-year prison sentence for cocaine possession has now been cleared of all charges after it was determined the substance in question was actually just powdered milk.
Cody Gregg, described in The Oklahoman's report as a homeless man, pleaded guilty earlier this month to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in an effort to get out of the Oklahoma County jail. Once the negative lab report was received, he requested to withdraw that plea, a request which was granted by Oklahoma County District Judge Timothy R. Henderson Thursday. The case has now been dismissed.
Gregg was initially arrested Aug. 12 after a cop tried to flag him down regarding a lack of rear lights on his bicycle. A chase allegedly ensued, resulting in the cop searching a backpack and finding a coffee can containing a bag of "white powder substance." Initial testing resulted in a drug trafficking charge and a $50,000 bond.
While Gregg at first pleaded not guilty, he changed to a guilty plea after spending nearly two months behind bars.
This story, of course, is just the latest to shine a light on the inherent problems of law enforcement officials' continued usage of field testing methods.
For example, an NBC Washingtonreport back in May found that field tests “commonly used by law enforcement” can’t even accurately measure for CBD.
"Judges are being told that [a] product is being field tested and is coming back positive for THC, and that's factually incorrect," James Moody, a lawyer who specializes in cannabis law, said at the time. "They very well could be possessing nothing other than CBD, which is completely legal."
