Heavy-handed policing marred the annual 4/20 celebration in Melbourne’s Flagstaff Gardens on Wednesday after a man was arrested for smoking a joint he said was prescribed by his doctor.
The man was filmed being handcuffed and pushed to the ground by a group of officers as he insists he has a medical certificate in his bag.
The footage shows him complaining he can’t breathe as they search his pockets before he is dragged to his feet by four officers and taken away for further questioning.
At one point, he asks why he is being arrested, claiming his cannabis is legally prescribed. “That’s the only reason I do it out in the open,” he adds.
After being released, he tells a man who filmed the incident: “I’m a legal patient, my weed comes from a doctor, from a pharmacy. I lit up one spliff and get manhandled, dragged around, scratches, bruises…”
Victoria Police confirmed a 46-year-old Noorat man was arrested for possession. He was released pending further enquiries.
