US EditionCops Have to Treat Cannabis in Your Car Differently After New California Supreme Court Ruling
The court ruled 0.36 grams of loose marijuana crumbs do not justify a vehicle search, setting a clear standard for usable, imminently consumable marijuana in cars.
- The California Supreme Court ruled today that marijuana in a vehicle must be of a usable, imminently usable, and accessible condition to constitute an open-container violation, reversing lower courts.
- In Sacramento, police officers stopped a vehicle after observing a rolling tray and found 0.36 grams of loose marijuana crumbs on the rear floorboard, citing the driver's nervousness to justify a search despite no consumption paraphernalia.
- The court reasoned that loose crumbs differ from a rolled joint, explaining crumbs are not readily consumable and instructing courts to assess if an occupant could consume marijuana with minimal effort.
- The court ruled officers lacked probable cause to search the vehicle and clarified that courts assessing imminently usable condition must consider minimal effort for consumption.
- Against California's post-2016 legalization backdrop, the ruling narrows officers' search powers while marijuana remains illegal under federal law, highlighting tension between state and federal policies.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Marijuana Moment
California Cops Have To Treat Marijuana In Cars Differently After New Supreme Court Ruling
“To constitute a violation…marijuana in a vehicle must be of a usable quantity, in imminently usable condition, and readily accessible to an occupant.” By Nigel Duara, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. When it comes to impaired driving and the state’s open container law, a rolled and ready joint is more like a can of beer in giving police cause to search a car than a few crumbs of mariju…
LA Daily News
Cops to treat marijuana found in cars differently under California high court ruling
By Nigel Duara | CalMatters When it comes to impaired driving and the state’s open container law, a rolled and ready joint is more like a can of beer in giving police cause to search a car than a few crumbs of marijuana, according to the California Supreme Court. The court’s reasoning: You can smoke a joint and drink a beer, but loose marijuana isn’t readily consumable. In a ruling handed down Jan. 29, the high court ruled that police must find …
Cops have to treat cannabis in your car differently after new California Supreme Court ruling
When it comes to impaired driving and the state’s open container law, a rolled and ready joint is more like a can of beer in giving police cause to search a car than a few crumbs of marijuana, according to the California Supreme Court. The court’s reasoning: You can smoke a joint and drink a beer, but loose marijuana isn’t readily consumable. In a ruling handed down today, the high court ruled that police must find marijuana in a condition that’…
Cal Matters
Cops have to treat marijuana in your car differently after new California Supreme Court ruling
Having loose marijuana in your car is not sufficient cause for police to search the vehicle, the California Supreme Court ruled.
Cops Have to Treat Marijuana In Your Car Differently after New California Supreme Court Ruling - Sonoma Valley Sun
by Nigel Duara This article originally was published by CalMatters When it comes to impaired driving and the state’s open container law, a rolled and ready joint is more like a can of beer in giving police cause to search a car than a few crumbs of marijuana, according to the California Supreme Court. The court’s reasoning:
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