Why is Legal Not Always Really Legal: 5 Things You Need to Know About Legal Marijuana

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As more and more states are legalizing marijuana for medical use, the world is slowly starting to recognize its numerous health-related benefits. However, things can be a little bit more complicated than what they seem, and certain restrictions still apply.

So what are the top 5 things you need to know before lighting up the green?

1. Don’t drive while high!

Driving while high is still illegal. This is true for every single state that has legalized the use of marijuana. That being said, different states have different ways of determining if someone has smoked marijuana.

For example, when driving in Colorado and Washington, you need to be careful about not leaving any evidence of marijuana consumption in the vehicle’s passenger compartment. Certain other states have prescribed a threshold for legal impairment, and it equals 5 nanograms of active THC in one’s blood.

2. Complications between the state borders

If you want to take your marijuana with you across the state borders, even if it’s legal on both sides of the border, you may want to think again. The current laws still prohibit you from doing so, and you may even be prosecuted for trying. This is because the federal government considers marijuana to fall within the category of schedule 1 controlled substances.

3. There are carrying limits

Depending on where you live, different carrying limits of marijuana apply. Generally speaking, most states allow you to have 1 ounce of weed on you, while Washington DC and Maine allow you to carry more (2 and 2.5 ounces, specifically). Some states are willing to go substantially higher than that, allowing you to carry 10 ounces of weed (in Massachusetts, for example).

Be careful, since this may be a bit more complicated in certain states, since different measures may apply for different forms of marijuana. For example, in Oregon, you can carry 8 ounces of marijuana flower like the one you can get from originscannabis.com, while you’re allowed to freely carry up to 72 ounces of THC in liquid form.

4. Buying and smoking are two entirely different terms

Even though marijuana may be legal to consume and carry in certain regions, depending on where you live, it may not be a given that you can also buy it without potentially getting in trouble with the law. Each state has its own laws, but as a general rule of thumb, you should be very careful when buying it, at least until 2018.

5. Be mindful of where you smoke it

As of right now, every state bars the consumption of marijuana in a public property, so in most cases, you can only smoke it at home. Even though the bars, for example, are private properties in pure technical terms, the complications arise from the argument that they are “publicly accessible private venues”, hence leading to legal complications.

Conclusion

If you take the needed time to study the marijuana-related limitations, you will be well-equipped with the necessary knowledge on what you can actually do with it. This will allow you to have fun and help you avoid getting in trouble with the authorities.