October 20, 2016
Former Philadelphia mayoral candidate and documentary filmmaker Sam Katz was arrested at Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday morning, according to multiple reports.
Katz, who ran for mayor as a Republican in 1999 and 2003, was reportedly set to leave for a fishing trip in Florida when authorities caught him with a small amount of the drug, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. He decided to stash the marijuana in a briefcase that was flagged by Transportation Security Administration officials before he was able to board his flight.
Owing to Philadelphia's decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana — less than an ounce — Katz was only slapped with a $25 ticket. He missed his flight but was able to make alternative arrangements.
Katz, 66, told Philadelphia Magazine he's "terribly embarrassed" and was genuinely looking forward to a relaxing fishing trip.
A lifelong Philadelphian, Katz currently runs History Making Productions and keeps his followers informed at Citizen Sam, a personal website providing an "independent voice" for the city.
The arrest comes on a day when hundreds of marijuana activists staged a Pop-Up Weed Garden at Eakins Oval to celebrate the second anniversary of decriminalization in Philadelphia.
A study released last week by the Pew Research Center found that 57 percent of Americans now believe marijuana usage should be legalized.
