Seattle Cops to Hand Out Bags of Doritos at Hempfest

By Colleen Curry August 15, 2013

The Seattle police department has been having fun with Washington's new pot laws since smoking dope was legalized last year, but the department's latest move, dubbed "Operation Orange Fingers," may be its best yet.

The department announced this week that come Saturday, officers would flood the annual HempFest, which celebrates marijuana culture, and issue bags of Doritos to civilians who may be suffering from the munchies.

The department will attach a sticker to each bag directing them to a website with information on following state laws when smoking marijuana, or what it calls "marijuwhatnow literature."

"Distributing salty snacks at a festival celebrating hemp, I think, is deliberately ironic enough that people will accept them in good humor," Sgt. Sean Whitcomb told Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger. "We want to make sure people learn the rules and that they respect the vote."

HempFest will feature music and activities across three waterfront parks in the city this weekend, according to organizers. The cops say (jokingly) that the festival and its Doritos-outreach plan were merely coincidence.

Last year, after Washington voters overwhelmingly pushed through a bill legalizing pot consumption on November's ballot, the police offered some tongue-in-cheek advice for residents to enjoy their pot safety and responsibly.

"The police department believes that, under state law, you may responsibly get baked, order some pizzas and enjoy a Lord of the Rings marathon in the privacy of your own home, if you want to," the department said then.

"In the meantime, in keeping with the spirit of (the new bill), the department's going to give you a generous grace period to help you adjust to this brave, new, and maybe kinda stoned world we live in."

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