Panthers WR Shi Smith was arrested in South Carolina at the end of March and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, unlawful carrying of a handgun, and speeding, as Joshua Kuhn of WSPA.com reported.
The current collective bargaining agreement is not nearly as harsh as its predecessor with respect to marijuana usage, though if the intent to distribute charge is substantiated, that would obviously be a very different story. The unlawful carrying of a handgun could also lead to league discipline.
Smith, 23, was selected by Carolina in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. Like many Day 3 choices, his rookie-year contributions were fairly limited, as he appeared in just 85 offensive snaps and 24 special teams snaps. In six games, Smith caught six passes for 104 yards, including a 63-yard reception. Assuming the Panthers elect to retain him, he may be hard-pressed to see more action in 2022, as the club is already rostering D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and 2021 second-rounder Terrace Marshall, and recently added Rashard Higgins in free agency.
As David Newton of ESPN.com writes, Smith was released on a total of $6K bond ($5K for the drug charge and $1K for the gun charge). His first court appearance is set for June 13, the second day of the Panthers’ mandatory four-day minicamp.
A team spokesperson declined to comment on the situation since it is a pending legal matter.
It’s painfully easy in general to not have all of these charges. None of that behavior is exactly hard to avoid.
There are very legal ways to carry a handgun in South Carolina in your vehicle-it needs to basically be within two or more motions (including a latch of some kind) to not be immediately accessible, like a glove box. Carrying a larger amount of weed in your car or on your person in a state where it is illegal to do so is already easy to avoid. If he got stopped for speeding and was smoking, as most people who are cited for it do when the smell is noticeable and leads to a search, then that was just painfully stupid. And then, of course, there’s the speeding while having all of that in your car.
Smith was not a lock to make the roster as is. Just avoid being stupid, that’s all he had to do to at least give himself a chance. These aren’t end of the world charges, but you’ve got to grow up at some point.
I agree, as someone who is fond of a little chronic, smoke in your garage, you don’t need the world to know what your doing, every single person with a drivers license has gone speeding before so that’s maybe some bad luck it doesn’t say drifting reckless or under the influence, could be a cop giving tickets for 11 over, I get why pro athletes want to carry guns and support them in that but it seems pretty easy to avoid doing it illegally…..all in all I feel like I’m reading about a kid who just came of age and still thinks it’s important how the world sees him, hopefully he learns from this and avoids the simple mistakes next time
Can’t this rocket scientist just get a CCW/LTC so his handgun can be legally carried? Even from another state SC will probably accept it.
How about just not break the law
He’s in deep Shi now
Shi……t
“though if the intent to distribute charge is substantiated”
They don’t have to substantiate anything to nail you on “intent” to distribute. If you have enough, that’s it…they get to assume the “intent.”
If paper towels were illegal, people who buy the big pack at Sam’s Club would be dealers.
It’s such a stupid charge and it usually never sticks unless the defendant is stupid and admits it
Holy Shi*, another NFL genius…
Man was trapping
Probably should be prepping the next headline for this story.