Cannabis is now legal in many US states – but can the smell get you in trouble?

Parts of the country are starting to treat cannabis like alcohol when it comes to policing intoxicated driving

As states around the country continue to legalize recreational and/or medical cannabis use, more are beginning to treat cannabis like alcohol when it comes to policing intoxicated driving.

A recent unanimous decision by the Illinois supreme court found that the smell of burnt cannabis alone does not give police license to conduct a warrantless vehicle search, making it the sixth state supreme court to make such a ruling. In contrast, Wisconsin's supreme court, ruled the opposite just last year. They found that cannabis odor in a vehicle is probable cause to justify a search (unlike in Illinois, adult recreational cannabis is still illegal in Wisconsin).