Palm Desert authorities made it clear that festival-goers carrying marijuana, or other drugs, paraphernalia and weapons could hand over the items without fear of arrest, before entering the festival grounds.

Police set up 'Amnesty cans' at the festival entrance at the Empire Polo grounds in Indio, giving music fans with plans to get high one last opportunity to get rid of drugs and weapons or risk arrest during a routine search of bags, hats and pockets.

The amnesty cans were introduced at Coachella in 2007, but drug and weapons arrests still caused headaches for the local authorities. This year (08) they are more visible and prominent.

According to police, among the drugs festival-goers gave up last year were 457 marijuana cigarettes, 51 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, 46 grams of cocaine and 97 Ecstasy pills.

Police arrested 31 drug dealers at Coachella last year, according to statistics.

Source: WENN