Snoop Dog and me

I normally have no interest in what goes on in the rap music scene. I don't listen to it, and pretty much am embarrassed for those who do. It's simply not my forte.

I had just finished my morning swim at the Y and was reading the local newspaper. The back page talked of Snoop Dog's arrest. I wanted to see what his newest charges are, and I read something that befuddled me. An online article repeats the section.

Right after taping 'The Tonight Show', Snoop was arrested for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possessing cocaine, transporting marijuana and having a false compartment in his vehicle.

"False compartment"? That's illegal?

With the power of the internet it was rather easy to go and find the specific California code.

11366.8. (a) Every person who possesses, uses, or controls a false compartment with the intent to store, conceal, smuggle, or transport a controlled substance within the false compartment shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a term of imprisonment not to exceed one year or in the state prison.
(b) Every person who designs, constructs, builds, alters, or fabricates a false compartment for, or installs or attaches a false compartment to, a vehicle with the intent to store, conceal, smuggle, or transport a controlled substance shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months or two or three years.
(c) The term "vehicle" means any of the following vehicles without regard to whether the vehicles are private or commercial, including, but not limited to, cars, trucks, buses, aircraft, boats, ships, yachts, and vessels.
(d) The term "false compartment" means any box, container, space, or enclosure that is intended for use or designed for use to conceal, hide, or otherwise prevent discovery of any controlled substance within or attached to a vehicle, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
(1) False, altered, or modified fuel tanks.
(2) Original factory equipment of a vehicle that is modified, altered, or changed.
(3) Compartment, space, or box that is added to, or fabricated, made, or created from, existing compartments, spaces, or boxes within a vehicle.

When they use the words "controlled substance" are they meaning drugs only? I know they control firearms, and other items pretty hard. What about using a concealed compartment to hide your prescription drugs from criminals in a bad area. Will that get you shafted?

More then anything, it sounds like just another law to pile on people to make them plead out to other charges.

Tennessee codes do not have anything like this that I can find.

Crap like this makes me want to make a concealed compartment in my vehicle today.