Melissa Said, a 23‑year‑old Instagram influencer who posted stylish photos of herself smoking marijuana, was taken into custody on October 23 by Brazilian police in Salvador, Bahia.
The arrest happened after a week‑long investigation called Operation Erva Afectiva, during which officials raided five of her properties. They seized several electronic devices, digital scales, plastic bags, two vehicles, and about three pounds of low‑grade cannabis (“skank”) and a half‑pound of hashish.
Said says she has never been part of a drug‑trafficking network. She called the arrest a “shame” and denied that she transported illegal drugs between Bahia and São Paulo. In a message to her 376,000 Instagram followers, she said she would never be jailed for smoking marijuana.
Police claim the influencer promoted how to hide drugs from law enforcement and taught followers to hand off “kits” of joints in the streets. They also say she bought and distributed the seized substances to contacts on social media.
At the time of the raid, four other suspects were captured, and one was formally charged with drug trafficking linked to the seized “skank.”
During questioning, police brought Said in for a forensic exam. If convicted, she could face up to 25 years in prison.
Brazilian law prohibits the sale of marijuana, although the Supreme Court decriminalized possession and private cultivation for personal use in 2006. Prior to her arrest, Said had been using her platform to lobby for marijuana legalization.
Source: New York Post
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