You can’t make this stuff up — someone tried to break into the dumpster behind a Portsmouth weed store early Wednesday morning, apparently hoping to strike gold in the form of discarded marijuana.
The Great “Pot Dumpster” Caper
At 9 a.m., employees at the Second Street cannabis shop called police to report that someone had been trying to pry open their locked dumpster.
- The store told officers they do throw away unused product, but it’s rendered completely unusable first — meaning there’s no jackpot waiting inside.
- After reviewing security footage, police confirmed it appeared to be homeless individuals attempting to get in.
Officers told the store there was nothing criminal to charge yet but documented the incident in case it happens again.
No Free Weed Here
Sorry, folks — there’s no “green gold” waiting behind the dispensary. Marijuana disposal laws require that any unsellable cannabis be mixed with other waste materials, making it unsmokable and worthless. So, anyone dumpster-diving behind a weed store is just digging through literal trash.
A Sign of a Bigger Problem
While the story may sound funny at first, it’s also part of a much bigger and sadder picture. Portsmouth’s growing homeless crisis has left many people scavenging for food, recyclables — and now, apparently, discarded weed.
Police and business owners say these calls are becoming routine:
- People sleeping behind stores.
- Digging through dumpsters for scraps.
- Setting up makeshift camps nearby.
It’s a problem that stretches far beyond the city’s downtown — and one that police can’t fix alone.
The Bottom Line
This “pot dumpster” incident might sound like something out of a stoner comedy but is all too real in the River City.