The Palm Springs Police Department made a video reminding locals that, even though Proposition 64 legalized recreational marijuana in California, it’s still illegal to drive while high.
The department also issued a challenge for other law enforcement agencies to follow suit, hoping #GetBakedGetBooked will catch on across California.
The video shows Officer Richard Salomon sitting on his patrol motorcycle as a couple drives by while hotboxing in their silver sedan. Salomon pulls them over, and they proceed to make jokes about not having any doughnuts.
The public service announcement then cuts to the couple handcuffed on the curb, while Salomon issues this warning: “I’m here to let you know that although it may be legal to smoke weed in California, it’s still illegal to smoke weed and drive a motor vehicle.”
The police department posted the video to social media with the #GetBakedGetBooked hashtag.
“We also challenge Law Enforcement throughout the state to join us and make educational videos on the dangers of driving while impaired by marijuana and post them to your pages,” the department wrote on its Facebook page.
Many of the social media shares and comments reacting to the video were positive.
One commentor asked how authorities identify stoned drivers. The department replied: “Several steps actually apply beginning with initial driving observations to a series of field sobriety tests, similar to that of alcohol related impairment.”
Related: What to expect if you’re pulled over
One person did take exception to the officer’s bleeped-out use of profanity.
The department responded by saying that moment was intended as “an attention grabber” to help send “a very important message.”
A couple social media users criticized the department for reinforcing the “Reefer Madness” stereotype with the video.
The Palm Springs Police Department called out a number of other law enforcement agencies in Riverside County for the challenge to educate drivers, including the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and Corona Police Department. So far, a search of the hashtag on social media doesn’t turn up PSAs from any other police agencies.
