Maybe you recently traveled to Florida, where you would qualify for participation in their medical marijuana program. Perhaps you traveled a little bit farther from home to a state like New Jersey where adult recreational use of marijuana is fully legal.
Although you may feel tempted to bring some marijuana or marijuana products back home with you after visiting a state where it is legal for adult use or medical purposes, doing so could be a serious mistake.
Traveling with marijuana breaks state and federal laws
There is a lot at risk if you travel either on an airplane or in your own car with marijuana. When you cross state lines with controlled or prohibited substances in your vehicle, you technically commit an act of interstate trafficking. If you get caught by the wrong law enforcement professionals in that situation, you might find yourself facing federal criminal charges.
Even if you avoid that worst-case scenario, your possession of marijuana, marijuana concentrates or even infused food products could lead to possession charges. While you may have purchased the marijuana products to treat a medical condition, you won’t be able to use medical need as a defense. There is currently no medical marijuana law in South Carolina to help you mount a defense based on medicinal use.
For those who have recently gotten arrested because of an alleged marijuana offense, there are potentially other opportunities to defend against those charges, depending on the evidence gathered by law enforcement and the circumstances that led to their arrest. Understanding when simple mistakes might lead to concerning drug charges can help you avoid accidentally breaking state or federal law.
