I attended a four-day cannabis industry seminar and learned even sweet retirees and law-abiding citizens like you and me can make innocent mistakes and get in trouble with the police.
Cannabis, in my view, is safe and effective medicine. I’m a true believer, and I’d like to be part of the legal cannabis industry that is emerging across the country. I attended the seminar to see how I might use my skills and talents in this realm, my second act so to speak. The course covers everything from cultivating plants to running a dispensary. I was shocked to find myself practicing what to say to the police.
Say what?
Well, the laws regarding cannabis are iffy at best. While medical and recreational use is legal in California, where I live, it’s not legal at the federal level. Mostly the feds don’t mess with states, but they’ve been known to raid a dispensary here and there. It’s important to play by the rules, or you might attract unwanted attention. And at a minimum, that’s going to be a pain the the ass.
Let’s talk about you, who probably has nothing to do with the cannabis industry. You might be a casual cannabis consumer. Sloppy behavior might attract the attention of local police.
What’s sloppy?
- Selling cannabis to a friend (or undercover cop)
- Smoking or vaping in public
- Driving under the influence
- Exceeding possession limits
- Keeping an open stash in the car
- Decorating your car with cannabis stickers
While there’s no law against cannabis stickers, it’s like a neon light saying, “Hey! I might have illegal stuff in here!”
Staying safe shouldn’t be hard. Don’t sell it, do use it at home, don’t drive high, only buy what’s allowed, put it in the trunk when you leave the dispensary and take it out when you get home. However, let’s say you are coming home after a cannabis purchase and get stopped for a broken tail light. The policeman says he smells pot and asks to search your car.
This is when I got scared. We had to practice saying in our polite police voice, “Officer, I don’t consent to searches.” Even if they ultimately search your car, the lawyers advised never consent. Not allowing searches without a warrant also applies to your home. Our study materials included the embedded video on how to deal with the police.
You may not use cannabis. You may think there’s nothing in your car or home that would trouble the police, but most of us are vulnerable in some way. Friends and family members, including children and grandchildren, have been known to borrow the car and leave drug paraphernalia behind. Or hide illegal substances or even unregistered guns in your home.
A cannabis attorney who was lecturing talked about the potential legal ramifications of growing cannabis or selling cannabis products. I’m thinking, holy crap, I’m writing about it. Is that a risk? I waited until a break and approached him.
I explained my position, and he said no problem, you’re just exercising your first amendment rights. You don’t actually touch the product for business purposes. I’m like, OK, you’re sure? Because I respect and appreciate the police, but I don’t want anything to do with them. Ever. He’s like, yeah, got it.
Watching the police video seemed like a ridiculous idea to me, a complete straight arrow and goody two-shoes when it comes to the law, but my husband and I watched it together, and we learned a few things that hopefully will NOT come in handy someday.
Even if you have nothing to do with cannabis, life comes with many opportunities for interacting with the police. The video is worth a few minutes of your time.
And remember – when driving home from the dispensary, keep your cannabis sealed and put in the trunk or storage area of a hatchback.