To date, recreational marijuana has been legalized entirely in nine states. Colorado in particular has boasted of a massive amount of additional tax revenue to the state, and instances of marijuana arrests and offenses (except for DUI charges) have dropped tremendously. This has led to a surging and suddenly rapidly-growing trend: cannabis vacations, or trips to these particular states in order to partake and enjoy the legalized marijuana without the threat of legal consequences.
Regardless of where you stand on the legalization debate that’s constantly ongoing across the country, there are a few things that anyone planning on taking one of these trips should know. First, you’re well within your right to partake in marijuana in one of these states, provided you follow all of that state’s laws in doing so. As long as all consumption takes place within that state’s borders, you have nothing to worry about at home.
However, some people choose to extend their trip by bringing a souvenir home with them. It’s quite easy to purchase a small quantity of cannabis, pack it away in your suitcase, and then travel home with it, but it’s not legal to do so. Every single state, even states where marijuana is legal for recreational consumption, prohibits the transportation of the substance over state lines, even into another state where recreational consumption is legal. It’s illegal to fly with the substance, either checked or in a carry-on.
However, assuming you are able to successfully pack the substance away and get back to Alabama with it, you could be facing serious criminal consequences for doing so. Alabama’s marijuana possession laws are extremely strict, and even a seemingly small offense can carry some tremendous penalties.
Alabama Marijuana Possession Penalties
This is because possession of literally any amount of marijuana in Alabama, even just a single joint, could be punishable by up to a year in prison and fines of up to $6,000. And that’s assuming the marijuana is for personal use. If you come back with equally-divided amounts in small, sealed baggies that are awfully convenient for selling the substance, then you’re probably going to be charged with possession with intent to sell, which is a felony that can put you behind bars for up to 10 years and carry a fine of up to $15,000.
Then there’s the matter of being caught with it while you’re traveling. This is the offense known as “drug trafficking, which is a felony if you’re carrying more than 2.2 pounds. You’ll face a minimum of three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000 for doing so.
In addition to all of this, marijuana offenses carry an automatic six-month driver’s license suspension in Alabama, and that means you’ll be forced to rearrange your life for half a year in order to accommodate your lost ability to transport yourself.
And finally, to make matters even worse, being found intoxicated by THC while driving means you’ll be arrested and charged with driving under the influence. A DUI in Alabama could carry a license suspension, large fines, jail time, and many other additional consequences, in addition to the possibility of being charged with marijuana possession if you’re found with any of it.
Have you been charged with driving while intoxicated on marijuana? Get help from a Birmingham DUI attorney as soon as possible by calling Tidwell Law Group, LLC today.
