hipsters will already be familiar with the term "weed carrier" (popularized by the salute to weed carriers blog): a member of a famous person's posse whose primary job is to carry the drugs, so that, in the event of trouble, the carrier gets arrested, shielding the celebrity (a.k.a. "weed owner") from any legal problems.

(for the hopelessly white, on hbo's entourage, turtle is the weed carrier.)

last weekend, four members of the indiana pacers got into a scuffle outside a strip club on the west side. pacer stephen jackson reportedly fired five rounds from a handgun (presumably into the air), but the other guy got him good, apparently hitting jackson with a car. all things considered, jackson seems to be in pretty good shape for a man who got run over just a few days ago.

aside from the shame of four pro athletes being at a strip club at 3am during training season (plus having and firing off handguns), attention has circled around a bag containing "a small amount of marijuana" that police found in the car of pacer jamaal tinsley. police apparently tested the sack for fingerprints, and finding none, announced that they would run DNA tests on the bag:

The DNA test will cost taxpayers $800, said Mike Medler, director Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency.

Such tests are commonly requested when officers seize large quantities of drugs, but experts say it is very rare for authorities to look for DNA in a misdemeanor case.

Officials did not say why the DNA test was ordered in this case.

as TDW pointed out, surely police have better things to do than run DNA tests on every little bag of herb they come across. fortunately, it looks like they won't have to complete the test. in the middle of the latest star story about how files are being charged against jackson was this tidbit:

Ramel Mattox, 29, is charged with possession of marijuana. Police found a bag of the drug in Tinsley's car as he was leaving the club. Mattox, a friend of Tinsley, said the marijuana was his, according to police.

so why did it take mattox almost a week to come forward? a weed carrier's job is to take the fall, which mattox should've done days ago, rather than let the issue sit unresolved for days.¶

I'm guessing that Mattox didn't know he was the weed carrier until the DNA announcement, when one of his Pacer friends came to him and "reminded" him.

But that's just my theory... ¶