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When cops complain about marijuana legalization being the slippery slope to a crime-ridden, apocalyptic hellhole, they're really only complaining about the removal of one of their favorite excuses for searching vehicles, houses, and people without a warrant.
For years, the odor of marijuana has been a blank check for warrantless searches. But when marijuana possession is no longer a crime, it stands to reason the odor of marijuana is no more "suspicious" than the odor of gasoline or fresh bread or a litter box. These are all just things now -- non-criminal things. And yet, cops can't seem to let this go, even years after the contraband is no longer contraband.
A recent decision [PDF] by an Oregon appeals court -- a state where marijuana has been legal since 2015 -- reaffirms the legality of possessing marijuana and firmly reminds the state's law enforcement they need far more than a whiff of marijuana to engage in further hassling of citizens. (via FourthAmendment.com)
