Two Columbus men were arrested Thursday morning and charged with felony possession of marijuana after officers discovered nearly 30 pounds of the illegal substance in the subjects’ vehicle.
Christian Grady, 34, of 247 William Roberts Road, and James Rice Jr., 36, of 279 Pandora Drive, were driving on Gardner Blvd. around 2 a.m. Thursday when an officer with the Columbus Police Department pulled them over for a broken headlight.
When Officer John Rice approached the red Jeep Grand Cherokee, he smelled the strong scent of marijuana. He also noticed a suitcase in the back of the car with a plastic bag sticking out.
An agent with the Columbus-Lowndes Metro Narcotics Unit was called to the scene and discovered four garbage bags containing approximately 24 pounds of mid-grade marijuana.
The substance has an estimated street value of $35,000.
As of Friday morning, Grady and Rice were still in the custody of the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center, awaiting bond.
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