Nabbed at the U.S. border in North Dakota on Aug. 17 after her tour bus was pulled over and Customs agents found joints coated with hash on board, Melissa Etheridge pled guilty nearly three months later to the charge of marijuana possession.
The arrest took place at the Portal Point of Entry in Burke County, ND. Etheridge had performed the night before at the River Cree Resort & Casino in Enoch, Alberta. The bus was detained in the middle of the night for several hours while agents conducted a K-9 search, Initally, TMZ reported that marijuana oil was confiscated. Etheridge told Variety on Oct. 16:
'I had some cannabis oil, actually a vape pen, in my toiletry case and they found it. They didn’t get much, it was a small amount.'
The latest report is that Etheridge possessed "marijuana cigarettes dipped in hash oil." Etheridge's attorney entered her plea at the Burke County Courthouse in Bowbells on Nov. 14. She received a $1,000 fine and must pay court costs and serve unsupervised probation. Another person similarly charged on the bus pled guilty and cases against two more tour members were dismissed.
The singer-songwriter also told Variety:
'I’m mad at myself. I was careless. It’s an international border, I should’ve known better. But I hope this can move the issue forward, shed some light on how many people use cannabis as a medicine.'
Etheridge is a legal medical marijuana patient in California where she lives. The "Come to My Window" singer was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and has used cannabis as a treatment ever since.
Last year, Etheridge announced she was launching the cannabis company, Etheridge Farms. She recently told Variety:
'Legalization is so brand new that nothing is happening quickly. Our products are close, but they aren't here yet.'
Etheridge joins Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Carlos Santana and many other high-profile musicians who've been collared for cannabis.
