Big Boi Arrested in Miami for Drug Possession after Cruise
Outkast's Big Boi was arrested in Miami. According to authorities, Big Boi had drugs on him - his own little small haul, including MDMA powder, ecstasy pills and Viagra.
Big Boi is half of the popular rap duo Outkast. He also has appeared in several films and has released his own album.
Big Boi's arrest also came at an awkward time for the rapper. He was disembarking from a cruise, likely high off his latest vacation, when he was stopped by drug sniffing canines that had likely gotten a whiff of his contraband, reports MTV.
According to Big Boi's Twitter account, he had been vacationing in Puerto Rico and Grand Turk Island before he was arrested, MTV reports.
The rapper was charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance and a count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
While it often seems like prescription medication is fully legal in the U.S., this is often not the case. Many prescription-only medications are actually controlled substances under federal law. Specifically, drugs like narcotic pain relievers, sedatives, stimulants and some steroids may be regulated by federal law.
These medications specifically need prescriptions from a valid doctor. Many states require that the patient undergo a physical examination by the doctor before a prescription can be filled out, and that there has to be a legitimate doctor/patient relationship between the prescription-writing doctor and the patient.
While there are many websites out there that purport to let you "buy" prescription drugs online, it is often illegal to do so under federal law.
For Big Boi, his drug bust likely spoiled the latter part of his cruise vacation. And, it's probably not the best publicity for Big Boi: "Arrested for Viagra" seems like something many celebs wouldn't want to have plastered on newspapers around the nation.
Related Resources:
- Grammy Award-Winning Rapper Big Boi Arrested (The Root)
- Rapper Juvenile Arrested in Louisiana for Pot Possession (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Jailed Rapper DMX Sues over Music Royalties (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)