NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. (WJXT) – Tons of loose, unpacked marijuana washed up on Florida’s Neptune Beach, enough to cover parts of the shoreline.
A bystander called police Saturday morning to alert them about a different type of “seaweed” that washed ashore. It turned out to be a large amount of marijuana.
Beachgoer Bryan Crews says the beach looked like a scene out of a TV show.
“There was pot, just marijuana, all up and down here,” he said. “I don’t know from personal experience, but watching shows, if you put it altogether, it probably would’ve been five to ten pounds.”
Police posted photos on Facebook warning people not to try to pick up the marijuana or take it home, saying it was degraded and rotten. It also looks a lot like sargassum, a type of brown seaweed, so it’s easy to get confused.
Zach West was visiting the beach with his mother and just knew something was off when he saw the marijuana.
“I did pick it up and smell it to see what it smelled like, and it was weed. So, I was like, ‘OK, that’s kind of crazy,’” he said.
West’s mom called 911. He says they were concerned about others, especially children, and whether the marijuana may have been laced with fentanyl.
Officers came out to the beach and cleaned up the mess.
Police say it appears a large amount of marijuana “broke open at sea and separated before coming ashore.” It’s unclear who the substance belongs to.
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