Features
One Toke Over The Foul Line
The big question going into the weekend wasn’t which songs Matthews might play, or which Phish tune might result in a one-hour-plus jam. Instead, folks were wondering how the Boston Police Department might handle marijuana smokers.
Last fall Massachusetts voters elected to decriminalize the drug, making possession of up to one ounce of pot punishable by a civil fine of $100. Earlier this year when it was announced DMB and Phish would headline separate nights during the same weekend at Fenway, folks were citing the concerts as the first real test of the new law.
How did it go? Did pot smokers flaunt their civil disobedience in front of Boston’s finest?
The Boston Herald reports some people lining up before the show outside the stadium’s gates were firing up pipes and spliffs even as police patrolled the area.
The newspaper also said police hadn’t reported on the number of $100 fines they issued over the weekend, but law enforcement officials did confirm they arrested one man for distributing balloons of nitrous oxide, and another person was issued a court summons for drug possession.
One Phish fan did take exception to those suspecting the band’s fans of being massive reefer heads, saying there aren’t any more people smoking marijuana at a Phish concert than a show by any other band, including DMB.
“If you have an illegal substance you should be ticketed for it,” said 19-year-old Marco Esquandoles. “The only thing that I think is wrong is thinking that just because there’s a Phish show there’s going to be any more pot smoking than Dave Matthews playing here (Saturday) night.”
Click here for the entire Boston Herald article.