Rodney King Was Smoking Weed Before His Death -- Report

By Dennis Romero Mon., Jun. 18 2012 at 8:00 AM

Categories: Death

AP / YouTube

Rodney King

Updated at the bottom: Cops reportedly confiscated marijuana plants from King's home.

Rodney King's fiancee is reportedly saying the 47-year-old was smoking weed before his death yesterday morning.

But don't blame it on the marijuana just yet.

While cannabis is a depressant, Cynthia Kelley also told friends, according to TMZ, that he had been drinking -- a lot.

King had a long and troubled relationship with ...

... alcohol, the most depressant drug of them all.

And some observers noted last night that King was a swimmer who was even known to go surfing. So how did he drown in his own pool in suburban Rialto?

Kelley said that he had been drinking and smoking all day -- reportedly -- and that he woke her up at 5 a.m.

She told friends, according to TMZ, he was banging on a window before she heard a splash and found him at the bottom of his pool after 5 a.m.

Strange?

The San Bernardino County coroner's office is scheduled to complete an autopsy by Tuesday.

[Update at 5:32 p.m.]: As coroner's officials announced the autopsy was done but that conclusions wouldn't be reached until toxicology (e.g. drug) tests came back in four to six weeks, the Los Angeles Times reported that cops pulled marijuana plants from King's yard as possible evidence.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

alcohol, coroner, death, marijuana, riots, Rodney King

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Citizen Legit

Really? Using Rodney King's death to further your yellow journalism campaign? Pathetic. Dennis Romero, you are lucky that no one has to buy this newspaper. Good bye, LA Weekly. Maybe one day Los Angeles will have a real alternative press. We already have the Times for poorly-written Conservative screeds.

Guitarlex17

More fuel for the anti-marijuana movement, even though marijuana did not cause his drowning which I am sure of. What were the swimming capabilities of the late LAPD pinata? Could have been an accidental drowning due to lack of experience or the alcohol. Depressant my ass, I ingest medical 420 before I do strength training, swim, bicycling session, or any activity which requires focus and deep breathing. Poor journalism! Marijuana isn't just marijuana anymore, there are thousands of strains with high THC or very low THC with higher or lower CBD percentages.

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the cops took the marijuana plants for evidence of what??? because the plants might be for an investigation in to an illegal grow? c'mon its kalifornia, thousands of people with fertle soil grow marijuana. maybe its a last opportunity to smear the man.

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Seems like he passed out in the pool from being drunk.

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Its not a good idea to go swimming if you have previously impersonated a pinata. You get real soggy and sink.

someone

be careful what you write about marijuana. it is not classified as a depressant. it exhibits traits of all depressant, stimulant, and hallucinogenic. by writing what you wrote your are stigmatizing the plant.

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