Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick Under Investigation for Marijuana Possession

January 18, 2007: Security officials at the Miami International Airport confiscated a water bottle from Michael Vick, the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, yesterday. The bottle, which was discovered by a Transportation Security Administration screener to have a hidden compartment and reportedly smelled like marijuana, has been sent by police to a Miami-Dade crime lab for analysis testing.

Upon entering the security screening area, security personnel reported that Vick appeared hesitant to surrender the 20 ounce water bottle. According to the police report, upon examination of the bottle, they discovered a secret compartment that was hidden by the bottle's label, making the bottle appear to be full of water when it was upright. Inside the compartment, security personnel discovered a substance that smelled like marijuana.

The police report characterized the substance as a residue that is "closely associated with marijuana."

Michael Vick entered one of the concourses at Miami International Airport Wednesday morning with the 20-ounce bottle. The 6-foot, 215-pound quarterback was recognized by two Transportation Security Administration screeners. His initial reluctance to turn over the bottle aroused suspicion among airport security screeners, a police report said. Vick eventually handed the bottle over to security personnel and boarded his flight to Atlanta.

After Vick discarded the bottle in a trash bin and boarded his AirTran flight, a suspicious Transportation Security Administration screener retrieved the former Virginia Tech star's bottle and discovered the secret compartment. She notified her supervisor who contacted the police.

The police reviewed airport surveillance video, which confirmed the TSA screener's account of her encounter with Vick, according to the Miami Herald.

The results of the crime lab investigation may take weeks to come in. At this time, no charges against Vick have been filed. "We'll do an analysis and see what it is," said detective Alvaro Zabaleta Thursday. "There's no sense of urgency to it,"

Under Florida law, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine, reports the Associated Press. First offenders rarely do any jail time.

The 26-year-old quarterback has eight years remaining on a 10-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons, the Miami Herald said. Miami-Dade police have notified the National Football League of the investigation.

"We plan to look into the matter and discuss it with Michael Vick before having any further comment," Falcons spokesman Reggie Roberts said. Vick's agent, Joel Segal, declined to comment.

Source: Associated Press, The Miami Herald