Guitarist Liu Hsiu-chi (劉修齊) of the indie band Bisui Group (美秀集團) was last week questioned by Taipei prosecutors after police allegedly found an e-cigarette device suspected to contain cannabis extract during a roadside check.
Prosecutors released Liu after he was questioned on Sept. 10. However, the matter remains pending, as investigators review the result of a urine test, which would check for the presence of various drugs.
Police quote Liu as saying that he did not know there was an e-cigarette device in his vehicle, adding that it was given to him by fans and he was unaware of its contents.
Liu could be charged with contravening the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), depending on the results of the urine analysis.
Under the act, cannabis is a Category 2 narcotic, a classification that also includes opium and amphetamines.
Formed in 2016, Bisui Group is a Chiayi County-based quintet, known for their retro-Taiwanese rock sound infused with electro-pop elements, with songs performed in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese).
The group has earned positive reviews and gained a large following. The title track of their 2018 album King of Light (電火王) won Best Rock Song at the 2019 Golden Indie Music Awards.
The incident, along with several other cases of people being cited with possession of cannabis, has sparked discussion among young people and advocates who seek to decriminalize cannabis in Taiwan.
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