UMass senior involved with Cannabis Reform Coalition arrested in Pelham on drug charges

PELHAM — A University of Massachusetts Amherst senior involved with the Cannabis Reform Coalition was arrested Friday after seven pounds of marijuana were found in his car following a traffic stop, according to Police Chief Gary Thomann.

Jerad W. Stahlinski, 24, of 149 Brittany Manor Drive, Apt. C, in Amherst, was arrested on Daniel Shays Highway at 6 p.m. on charges of possession of a Class D drug with intent to distribute, possession of a Class C drug and a motor vehicle lights violation, Thomann said.

During the traffic stop for having a defective taillight and brake light, officers Sean Casella and Eric Maynard noticed a strong odor of marijuana in the vehicle, Thomann said. Seven one-pound bags of marijuana valued at what Thomann estimates to be worth about $1,500 each and an estimated two grams of a concentrated form of marijuana known as “wax” were found inside the vehicle, he said. Labeled cans and more than $6,000 in cash was also found in the vehicle, he said.

Stahlinski was arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court Tuesday where he was released on $1,000 bail. He is due back in court April 1.

Stahlinski could be suspended from UMass depending on the results of a disciplinary hearing at the school, Thomann said.

Stahlinski is an officer with the UMass Amherst Cannabis Reform Coalition, a student group that favors legalizing marijuana and organizes the annual “Extravaganja” festival on the Amherst Town Common, according to the UMass website.