Brazilian influencer accused of running interstate cannabis network breaks her silence following arrest

26 October 2025

Brazilian influencer Melissa Said is accused of being a drug trafficking boss Instagram/@melissasaid

In a development that has caught global attention, Brazilian social-media star Melissa Said has publicly spoken out following her arrest by authorities in the state of Bahia on charges of leading an alleged interstate drug-trafficking and money-laundering organisation. The influencer, known for her posts promoting cannabis and styling herself as “ervo afetiva” (roughly, “weed affectionate”), denied the accusations and described her detention as “a shame”.

According to prosecutors, what began in 2024 as an airport investigation into a minor drug possession claim quickly escalated into a full-scale operation. The so-called “Operation Erva Afectiva” targeted five properties linked to Said spanning Bahia and São Paulo states. Police say they seized significant evidence including large quantities of cannabis and hashish, cash, bank cards, electronic devices and vehicles tied to alleged illicit activity.

With over 300,000 followers on Instagram, Said built her public persona around lifestyle content featuring hemp-based products, glamour and a socially conscious veneer advocating for legalization. In her bio the phrase “I talk about ganja” appeared a claim that blended lifestyle branding with political advocacy.

In recent comments after her arrest, Said asserted that she uses cannabis personally and defends its decriminalization but vehemently denied ever orchestrating or financing a trafficking ring. “It’s a shame… no one in the world should be arrested for smoking marijuana,” she said in her statement according to international coverage.

Authorities believe, however, that her social-media presence extended beyond influencer branding into alleged facilitation of illicit conduct. Investigators claim her online activity included instructions to followers on how to transport drugs undetected and coaching on evading law-enforcement checks. According to a police official, the aim of “Operation Erva Afectiva” was to confront a “digital influencer who promotes crime” and who allegedly sold and distributed narcotics in Bahia with connections to suppliers in São Paulo.

Legal experts warn that, if convicted, Said faces up to 25 years of imprisonment under Brazilian law that prohibits the sale of cannabis even though personal possession was decriminalized in 2006. Meanwhile her arrest raises questions about the evolving role of digital culture in facilitating real-world criminal networks.

Observers of influencer culture note the case highlights how online personas can blur into real-world impact. As one media outlet put it, the transformation from glamour-driven content creator to alleged criminal figure underscores the growing scrutiny of social-media figures whose aesthetics intersect with illicit narratives.

For Said’s followers and peers this moment is doubly unsettling: on a personal level because one of their influencers is now at the heart of a criminal investigation, and on a cultural level because it suggests new contours for how influencers might be held accountable for their public messaging and behind-the-scenes activity. In an age when followers number in the hundreds of thousands, the boundary between lifestyle marketing and illegal enterprise can become alarmingly thin.

Still, as the investigation unfolds, key questions remain unanswered. How deep was her role in the alleged scheme? What will the prosecution be able to prove regarding distribution, finance and organisation? Will the court of public opinion and the court of law reach the same verdict? For now, the story is still being written.

The case of Melissa Said is shaping into a cautionary tale of influencer culture, social-media branding, cannabis advocacy and the law raising larger issues about power, visibility and responsibility in the digital era.