By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
An Atmore woman who admitted to police during a traffic stop that she had earlier smoked marijuana, was arrested on a felony drug possession charge after an MDMA tablet was found in her car.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s website, MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly) is “chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception.”
The arrest occurred around 10:10 p.m. December 1, when an Atmore patrol officer pulled over a vehicle that had only one headlight. Reports show that when the officer approached the vehicle, he detected “a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.”
The driver, 32-year-old Shamalla Robinson, admitted to the officer that she “smoked marijuana earlier,” reports show.
The policeman searched the vehicle and discovered “approximately 2.2 grams of a green, leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana” and “a box of small, clear plastic sandwich bags that are commonly used to package smaller amounts of marijuana.” He also turned up a pill that field-tested positive for MDMA.
The Atmore woman was charged with one count each of possession of a controlled substance, first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. The first-degree pot possession charge was lodged after it was discovered Robinson had a prior conviction for second-degree marijuana possession.
She was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center, where she remained late Monday afternoon, December 5.