New Orleans Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata has been issued a citation for illegal marijuana possession after a search warrant was served on his Elmwood apartment in late January.
The New Orleans Advocate reports that a Sheriff’s Office narcotics investigator received tip “that a quantity of marijuana products” would be in an apartment located at the 5300 block of Citrus Boulevard, which turned out to be Onyemata’s home.
Police considered the tip credible, so a search warrant was issued and served via raid on January 29. During the search, police located marijuana, cannabis oil, marijuana edibles and hemp powder, which they determined was for personal use, but is still against Louisiana law.
Onyemata, a fourth-round pick of the Saints in the 2016 NFL Draft, appeared in 16 games last season, recording 35 tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble. He is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2019.
While the league does have a drug policy, they have been a bit looser in terms of discipline when it comes to marijuana. A positive test still nets a four-game suspension, but possession may be deemed a lesser issue.
Neither the Saints nor the NFL have released a statement on the raid or Onyemata’s citation.
