https://youtu.be/qjMUs_zm-oU
Yreka, Ca — California is one of 5 states that could join Oregon and others in legalizing recreational marijuana after voters have their say next week.
As long as marijuana is federally illegal so is transporting it across state lines.
Police say that’s not stopping many people and as the market evolves, so do the rules that govern what’s legal, and what’s not.
As election day nears, the four states where recreational marijuana is legal could soon be joined by five more, Nevada, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts and Oregon’s neighbor to the south.
“If you’re not a California resident or you don’t have a medical recomendation from your physician we would be required to enforce the law,” said Officer Shawn Gordon of the California Highway Patrol.
For law enforcement near the Oregon/California border like Officer Gordon, that adds an extra layer of complexity.
“In California we have a few laws reguarding the possession, possession of less than an ounce that would be a civil infraction, misdemeanor possession would be more than an ounce of marijuana, say that there was transportation for sales, or posession for sales, those would be the felony,” said Ofc. Gordon.
One of the first things you pass on the way south into California is the Department of Agriculture’s inspection station, usually they’re just looking for fruits and vegetables
If they run into any trouble they contact the California Highway Patrol.
“The licensing that we’re developing in California will only involve transport within the state transport across the lines is federally prohibited,” said Jay Van Rein, spokesman for the California Department of Agriculture.
Federal rules mean marijuana stops at state borders. Even so, many are continuing to try. .
As the law stands in both Oregon and California some busts only amounts to a Class-A misdemeanor, and it’s far from t he only case.
“Oregon’s been an exporting state for a long time, we’re hoping people will stay within the bounds of the law but we know that based on recent cases that people are coming to Oregon to export illegally.” said OLCC Chair Rob Patridge.
Patridge says the legislature will look at strengthening those rules.
“These people invested tens of thousands of dollars in their grows to make sure they do things legally and we shouldn’t be letting it go out the back door and undermining the whole system,” said Patridge.
The goal for the OLCC and its counterparts in California is to make it a fair game for those who follow the rules.
“In California the Department of Agriculture is ramping up the regulations of all the rules that will take effect in January of 2018,” said Van Rein.
Until then police on both sides of the border will be watching state lines closely as both sides could potentially see an increase in marijuana traffic.
“That’s what we do, we enforce the laws,” said Ofc. Gordon.
Much like Oregon’s recreational law that passed in 2014, California proposition 64 would legalize growing, possessing and consuming marijuana for adults over the age of 21.
If approved funds from taxing marijuana sales would go towards education, law enforcement and environmental protection.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.