Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Law
  • Business
  • Education

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

Ohio GOP Seeking to Change Voter-Approved Adult-Use Cannabis Law

May 30, 2025

U.S. Court of Appeals Rejects Legal Challenge Claiming Cannabis Prohibition is Unconstitutional

May 29, 2025

Montana Gov. Signs Bill Reserving $12M of Cannabis Tax Revenues for ‘Habitat Legacy Account’

May 28, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Saturday, May 31
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn VKontakte
Smoke Professional
  • Home
  • News

    More Than 1,000 Arrested in Sweep of U.K. Weed Grows

    July 8, 2023

    Scotland Calls On UK To End ‘Failed’ Drug War With Decriminalization And Harm Reduction Approach

    July 8, 2023

    Germany’s draft law for first phase of cannabis reform

    July 8, 2023

    High Times Cannabis Cup Illinois: People’s Choice Edition 2023 Kicks Off

    July 8, 2023

    Pennsylvania Committee Advances Expansion to State Medical Cannabis Program

    July 7, 2023
  • Lifestyle

    How Watching the News Can Trigger Anxiety and Panic Attacks

    October 28, 2024

    Record High Cannabis and Hallucinogen Use Among Adults

    October 27, 2024

    Weekend Sleep Catch-Up May Lower Heart Disease Risk by 20%

    October 27, 2024

    Energy Drinks Linked to Poor Sleep Quality and Insomnia

    October 26, 2024

    First Psychedelic Church for Magic Mushrooms

    October 26, 2024
  • Law

    Ohio GOP Seeking to Change Voter-Approved Adult-Use Cannabis Law

    May 30, 2025

    Federal Lawmakers Call for Medicaid Fraud Investigation Into Florida Anti-Cannabis Political Group

    May 26, 2025

    Minnesota Ends Criminal Penalties for Bong Water

    May 23, 2025

    Minnesota Bill to Set Up Adult-Use Cannabis Industry Moves to Governor

    May 22, 2025

    Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

    May 8, 2025
  • Business

    U.S. Court of Appeals Rejects Legal Challenge Claiming Cannabis Prohibition is Unconstitutional

    May 29, 2025

    Montana Gov. Signs Bill Reserving $12M of Cannabis Tax Revenues for ‘Habitat Legacy Account’

    May 28, 2025

    Minnesota Tribe Signs Agreements to Open Adult-Use Dispensaries Off Tribal Land

    May 28, 2025

    Washington to Issue New Social Equity Cannabis Licenses This Summer

    May 27, 2025

    DEA Raid Confiscates Over 29,000 Cannabis Plants in New York

    May 26, 2025
  • Education

    CBD and the Aging Population—What Science Says Today

    March 12, 2025

    Wholesale Nootropic Skincare: Boost Your Product Line

    March 10, 2025

    Ideal for Your Business Needs

    March 8, 2025

    A Must-have For Every Smoke Shop

    March 3, 2025

    The Perfect Addition to Your Product Line

    March 1, 2025
Smoke Professional
You are at:Home»Business»Odor Alone No Grounds for Warrantless Vehicle Searches, Minnesota Court Rules
Business

Odor Alone No Grounds for Warrantless Vehicle Searches, Minnesota Court Rules

adminBy adminJune 18, 2024No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Police across the country continue to pull drivers over for one reason, then choose to search their vehicle for an entirely different reason—if it smells like pot. But it isn’t holding up in court as justification for probable cause. A Minnesota Supreme Court ruling, one of several ruling affirming the decision, suggests police in the state will be barred from citing cannabis odor alone as reason to search a vehicle. 

The 5-2 decision in State v. Torgerson rules that cannabis odor is insufficient to constitute probable cause for police officers to conduct a warrantless search of a vehicle. The 26-page opinion was written by Justice Anne McKeig and explained the reasons why odor cannot constitute probable cause.

In Litchfield, Minnesota in July, 2021, Adam Lloyd Torgerson was driving a car that had a light bar on its grill with more lights than are permitted under state law. A cop saw his car and determined that Torgerson might have an equipment violation. Police say the vehicle’s grill had more auxiliary driving lights than are permitted under Minnesota law under an obscure rule.

The officer pulled him over and said he smelled pot, asking Torgerson if there was any reason for the odor. Torgerson said there was not. A second officer arrived and was alerted about the smell. He agreed.

A subsequent search found meth and drug paraphernalia, and Torgerson was arrested and charged. While Torgerson happened to be in possession of meth and a pipe. The first officer searched the vehicle and found a film canister, three pipes, and a small plastic bag in the center console. The plastic bag contained a white powder and the film canister contained meth, which was confirmed in a field test. But the officers failed to gather enough probable cause in order to legally search the vehicle, a court ruled. 

Torgerson was with his wife and a child, so he was charged with possession of a meth pipe in the presence of a minor and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance after the unwarranted search of Torgerson’s vehicle. High Times covered the case in September 2023.

Minnesota Supreme Court Ruling

McKeig ruled that police lacked sufficient probable cause.

“The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the judgment of the district court granting Defendant’s motion to suppress evidence found during a search of his vehicle, holding that the odor of marijuana emanating from a vehicle, alone, is insufficient to create the requisite probable cause to search a vehicle under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement,” McKeig’s opinion summary reads.

“After a traffic stop and subsequent search of his vehicle Defendant was convicted of possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia in the presence of a minor and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance,” the opinion continues. “Defendant moved to suppress the evidence, arguing that the odor of marijuana, alone, is insufficient to create the requisite probable cause to search a vehicle under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement. The district court granted the motion and dismissed the complaint. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that evidence of medium-strength odor of marijuana, on its own, is insufficient to establish a fair probability that the search would yield evidence of criminally-illegal conduct or drug-related contraband.”

In an earlier ruling filed in the State of Minnesota Court of Appeals on Sept. 13, 2023, the Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed that cannabis odor does not constitute probable cause to search a vehicle.

MinnPost reports that  authorities are questioning whether odor can be used by police as justification to search vehicles and detain drivers.

Tom Gallagher is a cannabis advocate and a practicing defense attorney for 35 years. “It’s a recognition of a big change in marijuana law,” Gallagher told MinnPost. “In law school they talk about line-drawing, where do you draw the line type of problem? Now we know. We’ve drawn the line, finally.”

Similar cases impacted people in other states. An Illinois judge, for instance, ruled in 2021 that the odor of cannabis is not sufficient grounds for police to search a vehicle without a warrant during a traffic stop.

Daniel J. Dalton, Associate Judge of the 14th Judicial Circuit, issued a ruling in response to a motion to suppress evidence in the case of Vincent Molina, a medical cannabis patient arrested for cannabis possession last year.

In that case, Molina was arrested despite the decriminalization of small amounts of cannabis in Illinois in 2019 with the passage of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. 

Torgenson’s case highlights the legal grounds in which police can search a vehicle simply based on if it smells like pot. The rulings represent the rights of citizens when they are pulled over by police, even if there are hard drugs involved.

Source link

Court Grounds Minnesota Odor Rules Searches Vehicle Warrantless
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleJudge Dismisses Texas Lawsuit Challenging Voter-Backed Local Cannabis Reforms
Next Article Maryland Gov. Wes Moore To Issue Mass Pardon of 175,000 Cannabis Convictions
admin
  • Website

Related Posts

U.S. Court of Appeals Rejects Legal Challenge Claiming Cannabis Prohibition is Unconstitutional

May 29, 2025

Montana Gov. Signs Bill Reserving $12M of Cannabis Tax Revenues for ‘Habitat Legacy Account’

May 28, 2025

Minnesota Tribe Signs Agreements to Open Adult-Use Dispensaries Off Tribal Land

May 28, 2025

Comments are closed.

Our Picks

Ohio GOP Seeking to Change Voter-Approved Adult-Use Cannabis Law

May 30, 2025

U.S. Court of Appeals Rejects Legal Challenge Claiming Cannabis Prohibition is Unconstitutional

May 29, 2025

Montana Gov. Signs Bill Reserving $12M of Cannabis Tax Revenues for ‘Habitat Legacy Account’

May 28, 2025

Minnesota Tribe Signs Agreements to Open Adult-Use Dispensaries Off Tribal Land

May 28, 2025
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Don't Miss
Law

Ohio GOP Seeking to Change Voter-Approved Adult-Use Cannabis Law

By adminMay 30, 20250

Republican lawmakers in Ohio are seeking to make changes to the 2023 cannabis legalization law approved…

U.S. Court of Appeals Rejects Legal Challenge Claiming Cannabis Prohibition is Unconstitutional

May 29, 2025

Montana Gov. Signs Bill Reserving $12M of Cannabis Tax Revenues for ‘Habitat Legacy Account’

May 28, 2025

Minnesota Tribe Signs Agreements to Open Adult-Use Dispensaries Off Tribal Land

May 28, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from Smoke Unlimited about Weed & CBD vaping.

From Our Partners
About Us
About Us

Get all the current news stories, latest trends and legislation regarding cannabidiol, products, usages and its benefits. So don’t miss out any buzz and stay tuned! We offer a minute to minute updates regarding Marijuana industry.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
Our Picks

Ohio GOP Seeking to Change Voter-Approved Adult-Use Cannabis Law

May 30, 2025

U.S. Court of Appeals Rejects Legal Challenge Claiming Cannabis Prohibition is Unconstitutional

May 29, 2025

Montana Gov. Signs Bill Reserving $12M of Cannabis Tax Revenues for ‘Habitat Legacy Account’

May 28, 2025
Sponsors
Copyright © 2025. SmokeProfessional
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.