Out singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge
told Variety that she feel like a “rock star now” that
she's been arrested for possession of marijuana.
Etheridge's tour bus was pulled over
and searched by Customs and Border Protection agents on August 17 in
North Dakota after Etheridge performed in Alberta, Canada the
previous day.
A K-9 dog found a “vape pen” in
Etheridge's toiletry case.
The singer told Variety that
she's “in good company,” referring to other celebrities such as
Paul McCartney and Willie Nelson who have also been arrested for pot.
“I'm mad at myself,” she
said. “I was careless. It's an international border. I
should have known better. But I hope this can move the issue forward,
shed some light on how many people use cannabis as a medicine.”
Etheridge was diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2004. She said that she's been treating herself with
cannabis ever since.
North Dakota in November legalized the
use of medical marijuana.
“I went from Canada, which is about
to legalize marijuana sales, to North Dakota, which just went
medical, yet nobody seems to know what to do,” she said.
Etheridge said that she was “given a
misdemeanor.”