Back in October 2020, Fleetwood Mac hit “Dreams” rose to the number one spot on iTunes because of a viral TikTok video. An Idaho Falls, Idaho resident Nathan Apodaca (username 420Doggface208) was rolling down the street on his longboard drinking Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry juice while singing along to the Fleetwood Mac hit song. Apodaca’s rise to fame led to responses from Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Ocean Spray CEO Tom Hayes, Cheech and Chong, and many more. Needless to say, it was a vibe during the height of the pandemic, and since then he’s had a steady stream of TikTok videos. As recently as August 2022 Apodaca debuted his acting career as Uncle Charley in the Hulu series Reservation Dogs. He was featured in a Klypso music video called “Low Rider (No Lighter)” with Snoop Dogg and War earlier this year. Ironically, it begins with Doggface smoking with Cheech and Chong, and a police officer.
Recently though, Apodaca was arrested for cannabis. There appears to be some dispute between the reasons for the arrest between the perspective of Apodaca and law enforcement.
According to local Idaho police, he was pulled over in his truck due to an expired registration sticker. TMZ broke the story, stating that the trooper allegedly smelled cannabis when he approached the vehicle. While Apodaca searched for his registration in his glove box, the police officer noticed edibles in Apodaca’s glove box, which prompted him to ask Apodaca to exit the truck.
Apodaca told the officer that there were cannabis products in his truck, including three packages of THC gummies, and a dabbing tool. The officer arrested him for possession of cannabis, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked but also released on the same day with a $600 bond.
TMZ contacted Apodaca about the incident, who shared that from his perspective, things went differently. “During the arrest, the officers failed to read me my Miranda rights. Initially, when officers found weed they said they were only going to write a ticket. They then found a gun and told me I was under arrest because I had a felony on my record and I wasn’t allowed to possess a firearm. However, I do not have a felony on my record, which I told the officers,” Apodaca told TMZ. “Despite me telling them this, I was taken into custody. I was held in jail for several hours without bond before they told me they make [sic] a huge mistake. Then was told I was only being held on the weed charge and could bond out.”
In Idaho, three ounces or less is considered to be a misdemeanor, which can net offenders up to one year in jail, and up to a $1,000 fine. A felony charge would include possession of more than three ounces but less than one pound; it could lead to up to five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Ideally, cannabis laws will be more forgiving in the future if medical cannabis is legalized. Advocates in Idaho are currently targeting 2024 as the year to push for medical cannabis on the ballot. Previously, Idaho has seen nearly a decade of attempts to legalize cannabis for medical use, but never quite garnered the necessary support. An organization called Kind Idaho is collecting signatures now to ensure that they have enough to qualify in 2024. “We want the opportunity for Idaho residents to succeed on their own terms. And for many of those people on their own terms, the best solution is medical marijuana,” said Kind Idaho Treasurer Joe Evans.
