How Well Do You Know Your Pot Laws? Test Your Knowledge of Cannabis Vehicle Searches

Test Your Knowledge on Cannabis Searches in a Vehicle 
By Ray Hill 
Professor Emeritus, Santa Rosa Junior College 

1) The following are examples of legal cannabis possession, except: 

A) Possession of one ounce or less of unsealed cannabis, inside a plastic bag in a shirt pocket, by a person over 21years of age at a public music festival. 

B) Possession of one ounce or less of cannabis, by a person over 21 years of age, inside a vehicle being operated on the roadway, contained in a zipper bag which appears to have been opened, but then resealed.  

C) Possession of one ounce or less of cannabis, by a person over 21 years of age, inside a motor vehicle being operated on the roadway, inside a baby food jar with a closed lid. 

D) Possession of one ounce or less of cannabis, by a person 19 years of age, inside a motor vehicle being operated on the roadway, in a sealed zipper bag. 

ANSWER (D). People under 21 years cannot legally possess cannabis (11362.1(a)(1) H&S). 

2) The following would constitute a “closed or sealed” container of one ounce or less of cannabis inside a motor vehicle being operated on the roadway, except: 

A) A plastic cigar tube capped at the top. 

B) Two rolled “joints” partially concealed inside a glove on the dashboard. 

C) A zipper bag, once opened, then resealed and closed at the top. 

D) A prescription pill bottle capped at the top. 

ANSWER (B). The cannabis is not in a “closed or sealed” container (23222(b)(1) V.C.; Peo. v. Fews (2018) 27 Cal. App.5th 553; In re: Randy C. (2024) 101 Cal. App. 5th 983). 

3) You observe a rolled cannabis blunt (joint) on the console of a stopped vehicle. The amount of cannabis is under one ounce. Can a search for more cannabis be conducted  

A) Yes – The paper wrapping did not create a barrier to accessing the cannabis. 

B) No – The blunt was sealed. 

C) No – The blunt was too small to be considered an open container. 

D) No –The amount of cannabis is insufficient for a ....

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