Marcus Jordan's charges changed: Cocaine possession is now ketamine possession, documents say

ORLANDO, Fla. - The charges against Marcus Jordan, the son of NBA star Michael Jordan, have changed since his initial arrest on Feb. 4 in Florida. Initially, Jordan was charged with DUI and possession of cocaine. However, later tests determined that the substance Jordan was found with was Ketamine, according to online court records, after an apparent false positive.

Here is the latest:

The alleged charges: Ketamine in, cocaine out

One of the three charges alleged against Marcus Jordan related to his Feb. 4 arrest in Maitland, Florida, has changed. Jordan has now been charged with possession of ketamine, a third-degree felony in Florida, according to a notice of information filed by State Attorney Monique Worrell's Office on Feb. 19.

The document also charges Jordan with resisting an officer without violence (a misdemeanor charge) and DUI with property damage (a misdemeanor charge).

Previously, Jordan had been charged with possession of cocaine, after a substance tested in the field on Feb. 4 showed a positive result for cocaine.

What we don't know:

The latest filing from Worrell's Office does not explain why the charge was changed or what testing led to it being changed. According to TMZ Sports, who first reported on the change, because ketamine and cocaine feature the "same color and texture," it is possible to get a positive cocaine reading.

FOX 35 has reached out to the Maitland Police Department and Worrell's Office for clarification.

Why was Marcus Jordan arrested?

What we know:

Maitland Police Officers found Jordan and a woman inside a Lamborghini stuck on the side of some train tracks around 1:14 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2025, near Greenwood Road and Mechanic Street, according to the probable cause statement.

Officers became suspicious that Jordan may have been impaired, alleging that he smelled of alcohol, was slurring his words, and that he had bloodshot eyes. Officers had to order Jordan and his female companion out of the car because they insisted on trying to drive the car off the tracks, despite being alerted that a train was on its way from Sanford, according to released body-camera video. 

In the video, Jordan said the two had been to multiple venues in Winter Park and Casselberry – and that he mistakenly made a wrong turn and ended up on the tracks.

Marcus Jordan arrest bodycam video: ‘I made a wrong turn’

Officers conducted various sobriety tests and eventually arrested Jordan. According to police reports, Jordan declined to provide a breath sample and was eventually taken to the station.

During a search, deputies found a bag with a white substance in one of Jordan's pockets, the initial report said.  

He was arrested and later bonded out of jail. He did not talk to reporters. It is unclear who picked him up.

Following his arrest, Jordan appeared to publicly comment on the situation. He said he would focus on his business and not on his personal life. He also thanked people for supporting him.

FOX 35 reached out to lawyers listed for Jordan on Tuesday for comment.

What is ketamine?

Dig deeper:

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ketamine is a "dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects," which can distort people's perceptions of sound and light. 

It can appear as a clear liquid, a white or off-white powder, the DEA said. It is sometimes used for sedation or pain relief, but can be abused for its hallucinogenic properties.

"It causes an initial change in brain chemistry, and then, over time, when people use Ketamine correctly, or according to the FDA guidelines, the changes tend to be permanent," explained Dr. Matthew Angelelli, Medical Dir. Of Psychiatry, Orlando Health. "People will feel calm or as if they finally get a break from the stress or the distress that they feel, and so they'll start to use it over and over again."

Dr. Angelelli said that, like many medications in medicine, many have very good uses and some of them are abused by people.

"Some people will take it, and they won't like it at all. Some people will take it, and they love it," he added.

Here are some common street names for ketamine:

• Vitamin K
• Super K
• Special K
• Cat Tranquilizer
• Cat Valium
• Kit Kat

Can you overdose on ketamine?

Yes, you can overdose on ketamine.  According to the USDEA, an overdose of the drug can cause unconsciousness and dangerously slowed breathing. 

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