Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, 23, a Hofstra University basketball player, was arrested Friday after police found six suspected marijuana cigars in his 2011 Nissan Maxima at a traffic stop in Brooklyn.
Coombs-McDaniel's car was stopped by police as he was driving without a seat belt. During the inspection, police found six 'marijuana cigars' in the car's cup holder and ashtray.
As a result, he is charged with criminal and lawful possession of marijuana and driving without a license.
Coombs-McDaniel will face a compliance hearing, May 16.
This is not the first time that Coombs-McDaniel has been arrested for marijuana possession.
In April 2011, while playing for University of Connecticut, he was arrested for possessing 5.6 ounces of marijuana and a collection of drug supplies in his dorm room.
Coombs-McDaniel had to undertake a drug education program and 75 hours of community service to erase the charges from his record.
Earlier this month, a Bridgewater State University sophomore, Ryan Baroni, was also arrested by the police for possessing a pound of class D controlled substance, marijuana, and about $1,300 in suspected drug money at his off-campus housing.
The university had given him an interim suspension following his arrest.
"To be honest with you, it's just marijuana," Peter Ramirez, a 22-year-old senior, told Wicked Local. "It's not a big deal unlike narcotics, which could actually put someone in harm."
Treatment expert Dr. Joseph Shrand told the newspaper that students feel that weed is safe. But if they are consuming it from a young age, they have high chances of suffering from psychotic disorders during later stages of life.
