Things That Would Never Happen in Texas — Cop Returns Pot to Man Who Dropped It

This happened in Seattle and it was captured on the police officer's body camera.

COP: "Ah, that's just marijuana. Put that away."

HOLY. CRAP! Living in Texas, it's hard to even wrap your mind around this. In Washington, the cops will hand you back your weed if you drop it on the ground.

Here's what I think is going on in this video: Cops on bicycles roll up on some people on a street corner. Maybe they were called there because it looks like the officer in the background is taking a statement from another person. It looks like the guy in the foreground dropped a bag full of cannabis when he saw the cops come up. He probably did this out of force of habit.

In Texas, that amount of weed could land you in some serious legal trouble, depending on any priors, prior felony convictions and other variables. Also, the act of trying to dispose of the baggie could result in more serious charges for "tampering with evidence". The possession may only be a misdemeanor but the act of tossing it might be a felony.

But in Seattle the cop hands the weed back to the guy and reminds him that you can't have it out in the open and you can't smoke it in public. The citizen doesn't have his life potentially ruined and the officer isn't tied up all day filling out paperwork meaning he can use his day to, you know, protect and serve.

Does anyone think this is a better way than what we do in Texas? Do you think the day will ever come when Texas does things the Seattle way?