A closeup from a cannabis plantation on the island of Gran Canaria, one of Spain's Canary Islands off northwestern Africa, April 2013. (Desiree Martin, AFP/Getty Images file)

Can’t fool a K-9: Alabama man gets busted with 18 lbs. of Colorado pot

Elbert County authorities say a 24-year-old Alabama man was pulled over last week and found to have pounds of marijuana in his trunk that he was planning to drive back home.

Matthew Williams, of Killen, Ala., was stopped April 12 for speeding in an unincorporated part of the county when he admitted to having a small amount of marijuana concentrate, the county sheriff’s office said.

A sheriff’s office K-9 drug dog responded to the stop and alerted investigators that there was more pot in the vehicle’s trunk, authorities say.

Deputies searched Williams’ trunk, according to investigators, and found almost 18 pounds of marijuana and marijuana concentrate.

“Williams admitted that he was on his way back to Alabama,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Local and federal authorities in Colorado say they are seeing an uptick in marijuana leaving the state, especially pot that’s grown in homes inhabited by people from out of state.

Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul

This story was first published on DenverPost.com