mmmmm....chocolate

[Reba 2]

Couple arrested for carrying raw chocolate

For second time, drug test falsely shows their confection to be hashish

Sep 26, 2008 04:30 AM

Robyn Doolittle

Staff Reporter

The drug-sniffing dogs were coming. They knew they were in trouble again – for carrying chocolate.

Even with their certified letter from the Department of Justice, which clearly outlined the organic chocolate they were carting across the U.S. border was, in fact, chocolate, Nadine Artemis and her partner, Ron Obadia, prepared themselves for the worst.

Sure enough, just like the last time, the couple was arrested and charged with exporting a controlled substance.

"It was absolutely crazy," said Artemis, 37. "We don't know what it is that sets the dogs off, but it does."

This was Sept. 11. Just one month earlier, on Aug. 3, the pair had attempted to board a plane bound for Minnesota at Pearson airport.

The couple run Living Libations, a natural food and beauty care company.

"I'm a botanical formulator, so we're carrying all this strange stuff – little vials of jasmine, vanilla.

"We have a lot of exotic stuff," she said.

They had also packed some raw, organic chocolate – made of unrefined, unprocessed cacao, maca root, hemp seeds and goji berries.

"At first the (customs officials) said, 'Oh, you guys are just holistic.' Then the dogs came."

The animals went nuts over the chocolate. A rapid drug test was done, which returned a false positive result for hashish.

Artemis and Obadia, a yoga expert who once toured with the Barenaked Ladies, were arrested. Their baby son was taken away.

"They took us into separate rooms and interrogated us. That's when they (lied and) told me Ron had confessed everything," she said. "We were absolutely dumbfounded, confounded, and, of course, afraid. Utterly afraid."

They contacted criminal lawyer Marcy Segal. By month's end, she had arranged for forensic testing that proved the chocolate was, in fact, just that. The charges were dropped.

Business frequently takes the couple to the United States, so they were eager to clear their name. They arranged to meet an immigration lawyer at the Lewiston bridge for a supervised trial run, armed with papers detailing the bogus arrest and a certified letter from the Department of Justice in Brampton explaining the product.

Customs officials initially accepted the papers, but said they still needed to bring out the dogs.

Those charges are still pending.

For Segal, the irony is outrageous.

"Neither of these people consume alcohol or marijuana. They're completely natural," said Segal.

"Clearly, these NIK (rapid drug) tests are unreliable. Whether or not anything is going to be done about it is yet to be determined."

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Scary.

[Deliverance08 0]

done with USCIS.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

done with USCIS.

Who gives a **?

[SpiritAlight 1]

Wow, will things like this (about the chocolate) never cease....

and I guess Deliverance is truly done with USCIS.

Poor thing...I hope the news was "good".

[spookyturtle 9,465]

done with USCIS.

Douche bag.

[Mina76 0]

done with USCIS.

Douche bag.