4,600 THC edibles, about 100 pounds of marijuana seized during traffic stop

SALT LAKE CITY — A minor traffic violation led to a big drug bust for the Utah Highway Patrol on Monday.

A pickup truck was pulled over around 2:30 p.m. on I-80 near 7200 West after following another vehicle too closely, according to a police booking affidavit. As the trooper approached the pickup, “I smelled the odor of marijuana. Additional indicators of criminal activity were observed,” he wrote in his affidavit.

A police K-9 was brought to the scene to sniff around the outside of the vehicle for the possible presence of drugs. After the dog indicated there may be drugs in the pickup, it was searched, according to the affidavit.

“A search discovered 4,600 THC edible packages in 46 boxes and 98 pounds of field-tested marijuana,” the affidavit states.

Mark Alan Brown, 41, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of possession of 100 pounds of marijuana or greater and following another vehicle too closely.