Ian Charles Mason, 34, from Jamul, California, ignored warnings from law enforcement about the dangers of distracted driving. Working at a comedy traffic school, I always tell folks not to use their phones while driving. Mason ignored this advice and ended up losing $121,860 and a 55-pound bag of marijuana, landing him in jail.

Fate was not on the good side of Mason on the 21st of September, when an officer observed Mason blatantly violating the California Vehicle Code rule by talking on his cell phone while driving. He was pulled over by Officer Campbell who noticed that Mason seemed to display signs of intoxication and subsequently arrested him for driving under the influence.

The vehicle was searched and it turned out that there were six plastic bags stored inside the trunk. These large bags contained 55 pounds of marijuana, each packed in a smaller one pound bag. The Humboldt County Drug Task Force was at once notified and they quickly responded. Officers also found Masons’ cash stash hidden below the rear seat of his vehicle. His cash and 55 pounds of marijuana were seized as asset forfeiture.

Everyone knows it’s illegal to carry marijuana for the intent of sale (without the proper medical licenses) but it’s another thing to get caught for it because of talking on your cell phone and driving. This is exactly what happened to Ian Charles Mason; he soon found himself sitting in the Humboldt County Jail. So, for those driving on roadways, refrain from using your cell phones while behind the wheel. I will try and drive that point home again and again here on our Defensive Driving Course website because especially in California drivers just do not seem to get the point.