Most people smoke weed today. However, whether it is legalized in your area or not, it is a criminal offense to drive while under the influence of weed. There is no single law that covers the area of driving while high as most states have their own laws. In some cases, the smell of cannabis can be used as probable cause by authorities to go through your effects.
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If you are found to be in possession of cannabis after a search, you can be arrested for illegal possession of a drug and even face arrest. If you do not want to find yourself in hot soup with the authorities, you should avoid smoking weed in your vehicle. Alternatively, if you have already smoked weed, you should only enter your car after freshening up with perfume, sanitizer or mouthwash to be on the safe side. You can learn more here.
- If you want to travel with some weed, you should ensure that you have properly concealed it in a container that cannot be opened. If you do not have a sealed container, you should ensure that you do not have the weed on your person as you can be accused of partaking while driving. You should hide the product in a locked area that is far from your reach to avoid any getting into a misunderstanding with the authorities in case you are stopped and searched.
- Before carrying cannabis on your journey, you should carefully consider where you are going. If you are travelling short distances, it may be acceptable to carry it with you especially if it is legal in the locality. However, if you are going to a different state, you should be careful since you can be charged under federal law if you cross state lines with weed even if it is legal where you are coming from. If for example, you are coming from Nevada and going to California and have some cannabis in your possession, you can actually be arrested and charged with trafficking drugs! To be on the safe side, it is best to be careful. You never know when you will be stopped by an overzealous cop!
- If you are stopped by the cops for another offense while on the highway, you do not have to disclose what you have in your possession. As it currently stands, people of color are often stopped and subjected to arbitrary searches. If you find yourself in such a situation, do not disclose to the police that you have some weed in your possession. You will not be doing yourself any favor. Instead of volunteering such information, you should wait until you are asked the question directly. Further, you should know all your rights and the laws pertaining to possession and use of cannabis in your state. You should also remember that the amount of weed you can possess legally varies from state to state. Though it may be legal to carry weed in your state, you may be in possession of an amount that makes you a breaker of the law.
- If you are pulled over by the cops, do not start panicking. If you are not exhibiting signs of impairment and there is no sign that you are in possession of cannabis, just play cool and relax. You should try to focus more on the reason why the cops have pulled you over. In most instances, cops usually pull you up for certain reason such as taking the wrong turn or running a light. Unless you behave suspiciously, you are likely to get away even when you are in possession of weed.
- Before getting caught up on possible charges of driving while under the influence of weed, you should understand all the laws of your state when it comes to the use or possession of cannabis. Further, you should also understand the laws of the area where you are travelling. If you are seeking a better understanding of the laws on use and possession of cannabis by different states while driving, you can visit NORML.