Myrtle Beach Police marijuana arrests receive viral response. Why the backlash?
A recently announced drug bust by the Myrtle Beach Police Department has received viral attention on social media, but it is not likely the type of response the agency was seeking.
MBPD posted Tuesday on Facebook that its monthslong investigation conducted in coordination with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division resulted in the arrest of six people on marijuana trafficking charges.
Officers serving a search warrant a 1306-C Enterprise Ave. recovered more than 38 pounds of marijuana and hundreds of other marijuana-related products, including pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes and boxes of THC vapes, according to the post.
MBPD Chief Amy Prock was quoted in the post touting the case’s importance in enhancing the well-being of residents and keeping the community safe. Still, a majority of the more than 1,000 comments were critical of the department’s actions, or the laws that led to these arrests.
“If we legalized weed they wouldn’t have had to waste all this taxpayer money on a weed investigation,” one user commented.
“Wow, busting 38 lbs of mary jane while the opioid crisis laughs in the corner great use of my tax dollars, guys!,” another commented.
Several commenters pointed out that marijuana has been legalized in many other states, and argued that officers’ time and effort would be better spent on investigations involving more deadly drugs such as fentanyl.
MBPD spokesman Randolph Angotti, asked about the negative response, said that the department “remains committed to the fair and impartial enforcement of all South Carolina laws, statutes, and local ordinances.”
“It’s important to remember that every type of narcotic or illegal drug activity often brings additional crime, including theft and violence,” he added.
An incident report provided to The Sun News by MBPD was scarce on details related to the investigation, but it does show the department’s street crimes unit began the investigation March 18.
As of March 2024, 24 states have legalized adult-use cannabis sales — generating more than $20 billion in tax revenues, according to data compiled by the Marijuana Policy Project — and 14 other states have legalized medical marijuana sales.
Efforts to legalize marijuana, either adult-use or medical, in South Carolina have consistently failed at the Statehouse despite resident polling showing support of legalization. A 2023 Winthrop University poll showed that 76% of South Carolinians support legalizing medical marijuana, while 56% back recreational use.
