A drone dropped hundreds of bags of cannabis over Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on the afternoon of Thursday 3 September 2020.[1] The bags came from the “green drone” Telegram group, which campaigns for cannabis legalisation in Israel and uses the slogan “free love”.[1] The Times of Israel reported that over 100 packets fell on the square, and many were snatched up by passers-by, some stepping into traffic to grab them.[2] The packets held free marijuana samples and business cards promoting the group’s delivery service, bearing contact details and the phrase “Free love”.[2]

Many of the packets drifted onto Ibn Gabirol Street after the drone’s operators apparently misjudged the wind, and people went into oncoming traffic to collect them.[2] Police said packets that landed in a children’s playground were confiscated to prevent them endangering minors.[2] Police arrested two men in their 30s at the scene shortly afterwards, linked them to the bags found across the area and opened an investigation.[2] The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, citing the daily Maariv and a police spokeswoman, reported that the two men were accused of drug trafficking.[3]

A police spokesperson said distributing a suspected narcotic substance is considered trafficking a dangerous drug, and that the arrested suspects would be investigated accordingly.[2] Before the drop the group announced its plans on Telegram, saying it was launching a weekly “rain of cannabis” delivery of 1 kilogram divided into 2-gram bags to different parts of the country.[3] The group said the drops were meant to find a new way of getting marijuana to consumers during the coronavirus crisis.[3] Israel had partially decriminalised possession of small amounts of marijuana at the time, while distribution remained a criminal offence.[2]