Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I admit that I'm fond of weed. Usually I keep that to myself, my friends too - none of us have ever had a problem. So I don't really know how pot looks to cops and courts.
Had a bad day recently. Got caught with approx 1/4 oz (it was supposed to last a while).
Where does that sit on the scale of things? Does that look like a lot? Or is that just run of the mill?
It looked like a lot when the cop was walking away with it. :nonod:

The cutoff for what is "a lot" is 35 grams in my state. That's where it becomes a felony. Less than that is just a misdemeanor.

It doesn't matter if you have 3 grams or 34. They are treated the same in court.

Yea, you don't hit trafficking in Mass until you reach.... ready for it?.... 50lbs


1/4 oz could be possession (ticket here) or intent (felony).

I recently put one in jail for about a thimble full of marijuana! That's just how I roll! :coolgleamA:





Be Safe.

Less than 20 grams is a misdemeanor here, over 20 is a Felony.

As for having a problem, I am sure theres crack heads that don't think they have one iether.

How do we as LE view weed? As a illegal narcotic, thats what it is. Every LEO will have their "own" views. Personally I think its less dangerous than alcohol, but its illegal and alcohol isnt.

How do judges/courts view it? As an illegal narcotic, becuase it is.

It will depend on the judge/prosecutor also. If you live in a conservitive, anti drug area/state that thinks weed is the root of all evil you could get the "book" thown at you. In a more liberal area/state where the judges/prosecutors see weed as being illegal but not "the root of all evil" then you could get probation or a
drug class etc.

I don't know what to tell you, I am not the judge or prosecutor.

We don't deicide your fate. We arrest criminals and let "nature" take its course. After all weed is a natural plant made by god so maybe you should just "pray" for a "happy ending"!

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess what I was also wondering was, what's the average 'personal use' amount to find on someone? Just wondering how much of a dope head a brand spankin new 1/4 makes you look like.


It doesn't matter if you have 3 grams or 34. They are treated the same in court.

Though this makes me think the actual amount doesn't matter any which way...
The amount doesn't affect the outcome in court? (within a range, like under 20 grams)


I recently put one in jail for about a thimble full of marijuana! That's just how I roll! :coolgleamA:

haha, I'd rather go to jail for a thimble full than a 1/4, because presumably you were late to the party! I'll prob gets fines and all that and I hardly even touched that 1/4, oh, and I was speeding = expensive day! I don't wanna call that cop a party pooper but...No, it was the speeding in the strange smelling car that did it.


After all weed is a natural plant made by god so maybe you should just "pray" for a "happy ending"!

Haha, God didn't help out much on the marijuana front yet. No matter how much I pray for widespread enlightenment. :)

1/2 oz is a felony in TN. It really doesn't matter whether it's a felony or misdemeanor amount. Any amount will likely get you arrested. Better to stay away from it, or at least leave it at home. We can normally smell it in your vehicle, which gives us a right to search.

1/2 oz is a felony in TN. It really doesn't matter whether it's a felony or misdemeanor amount. Any amount will likely get you arrested. Better to stay away from it, or at least leave it at home. We can normally smell it in your vehicle, which gives us a right to search.

It is AMAZING how dopers thing their car smells nice after smoking a blunt and them spraying some frebreeze. But WE can always smell it and get automatic PC for a search and we usually find it, even with the nifty hiding places.

I compare it to how cigarette smokers think they smell good after spraying some perfume, when non smokers can smell it on them!

We can normally smell it in your vehicle,

You mean from it being smoked right? Not just being there?

I don't usually take my weed for a car ride. I'd had this stuff in my hands for about all of 12 minutes. And I'd smoked in the car the day before, which I don't usually do. And then for some reason I decided to drive badly. Everything just came together beautifully! And it took the cop and I about a second to figure out we were thinking the same thing. He goes to me, what's that smell? Seriously, what could I say? duhhh what smell? (which I'm sure you get ALL the time anyway) So I just said, yeeeah that's marijuana.

You mean from it being smoked right? Not just being there?

I don't usually take my weed for a car ride. I'd had this stuff in my hands for about all of 12 minutes. And I'd smoked in the car the day before, which I don't usually do. And then for some reason I decided to drive badly. Everything just came together beautifully! And it took the cop and I about a second to figure out we were thinking the same thing. He goes to me, what's that smell? Seriously, what could I say? duhhh what smell? (which I'm sure you get ALL the time anyway) So I just said, yeeeah that's marijuana.

At least you "manned up" when he asked. When I got someone and they are honest, it goes a LONG way with me. Being honest and not b.s. me or jerk me around when I know the truth and want to hear the persons "reaction" and see if they are honest or want to play "dumb" their answer will dictate how I treat the situation and what charges I will put on them.

So its always best to be honest, what you say goes in the arrest report and the judge sees it. A lot of judges also take the honesty into account as well.

As for if we can smell burnt cannabis only, it will depend on the Officers experience with cannabis arrest etc and their sense of smell. Ive seen rookies that don't smok with little experience smell things that a experienced officer that smokes a pack a day smell.

I don't smoke and I have never smoked cannabis so with many years of experience and a good sense of smell I can smell a dime bag in your glove box just by getting close to the car with my nose. Not bragging, its just something I am able to do better than some Officers.

Its best to just leave it at home and smoke it there. I am not promoting ANY type of drug use or illegal activity but your better off doing it all at home, same for drinking.

A+ for owning up
A+ for not being a jerk
F for being an idiot and doing drugs

Everyone say pot is harmless drug. It is not. Look at you now. You, for some unknown reason "drove badly." I can tell you why....the weed messed you up! Now you will end up with a criminal record....for weed. You sound like a young guy who is pretty honest and mature. Just dump the weed. If its not as big of deal as everyone says, you should be able to stop it tomorrow. Hit up a NA meeting and move on from this mistake.

Yeah, I'm never out looking to make trouble.


I don't smoke and I have never smoked cannabis so with many years of experience and a good sense of smell I can smell a dime bag in your glove box just by getting close to the car with my nose. Not bragging, its just something I am able to do better than some Officers.

No s***?!! You got some german shepherd in you? That's...enlightening to know.

Usually I am 'private' about it, leave it at home (usually...I have also just been lucky for years). But ya know, I'd just bought it. It was just getting from A to B.


A+ for owning up
A+ for not being a jerk
F for being an idiot and doing drugs

Decidedly average!

I get your point. And I will say that I feel like I just wasted a whole lot of money for nothing. I'm not getting any 'replacement' at the moment, that fun money's gone. Maybe I should try to limit it more to special brownie birthday cakes. I'm just a casual smoker and yeah, I don't wanna look like a dopehead on paper. Because I don't consider myself a dopehead but maybe that's questionable. Allowing your car to be used for hotboxing. And then using the same car when you go and buy some weed is QUITE dopeheady. I agree. I don't even hotbox in anyone's car very often. I was just a whole lot of dumb at once.