Aspen History: Before it was legal

“No wonder Pitkin County Sheriff Carrol Whitmire and his deputy Bob Husted look happy,” stated the Aspen Times on March 20, 1969. “Acting on a tip from an out-of-town informant they found 20 one-kilo packages of marijuana in a single engine airplane at the Pitkin County Airport early this morning. The rented plane, which landed at about 6:50 AM, was piloted by Geoffrey B.J. Smith, Honolulu, a frequent Aspen visitor. Smith and the 20 packages were apprehended at about 7:25. Charges are being prepared for possession and perhaps for smuggling, Whitmire told the Aspen Times. A passenger with Smith is being held for investigation, but the name was withheld pending further investigation. Smith is believed to have flown the single-engine plane from a city in Mexico where he is alleged to have acquired the marijuana.”