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.
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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.