A high-flying New Jersey man was arrested for trying to open an airplane door and propositioning a flight attendant for sex after eating 10 marijuana edibles.
Eric Nicholas Gapco, 26, faces federal charges for his disruptive behavior, which included yelling, singing at the top of his lungs, vaping, harassing passengers and assaulting a flight attendant.
At one point, a video of the incident shows the New Jersey native having to be dragged out of the bathroom after locking himself in it.
Mr. Gapco’s behavior was a result of the extreme state he was experiencing after consuming too much marijuana.
The ordeal forced the pilots of the American Airlines flight from Seattle to Dallas to make an emergency landing in Utah. Gapco was arrested at Salt Lake City International Airport, where he smashed a glass door.
Eric Gapco stripped off, vaped, harassed other passengers and propositioned a flight attendant.
As he was escorted off the plane, Gapco repeatedly shouted, “I’m sane!”
American Airlines Flight 2101 took off from Seattle on the afternoon of July 18, but it wasn’t in the air long before Gapco of Delanco, New Jersey, caused a stir.
Although she had taken the drugs before the flight, she said she did not know how much THC (the psychoactive chemical in marijuana) was in each edible.
Once on board, he allegedly refused to remain seated, propositioned a flight attendant, vaped and removed his clothes.
Press reports also say he offered a fellow passenger a bag of unidentified pills and shouted “I’m sane!” as he was escorted off the plane.
Footage of the incident showed passengers taking the initiative to restrain Gapco and help flight attendants escort him off the plane.
As he walked slowly down the aisle of the plane, he sang, “You say po-tay-to, I say po-tah-to.”
While it’s unclear how many milligrams of THC Mr. Gapco consumed, some types of edibles contain up to 100 milligrams of the compound.
If you ingest 10 of these, your THC intake rises to 1000 mg. Even for a regular cannabis user, this is a very high dose.
It is possible to overdose on THC, although it probably won’t kill you. Symptoms of an overdose include panic attacks, rapid heartbeat, nausea and vomiting, delusions and hallucinations, and seizures.
He initially denied using illegal drugs, but later admitted to having consumed a considerable amount to the officers who arrested him.
Recreational cannabis use is legal in New Jersey and Washington, but not in Texas. Although cannabis is legal in about two dozen states, it remains illegal at the federal level. Federal law prohibits its use across state lines.
Additionally, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule 1 substance along with cocaine and heroin, meaning attempting to smuggle it past the TSA could result in criminal charges.
He was charged with interfering with a flight crew and attempting to damage an aircraft under the United States special aircraft jurisdiction.
American Airlines told McClatchy News: ‘The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority.
“We thank our team for their professionalism and our clients for their understanding.”
Prosecutors said he continued to be disruptive when he disembarked the plane, writing in the motion for his detention that he was “combative with medical personnel and law enforcement.” “At one point, he spit at an officer.”
