Stop & Think Before Crossing The State Line
Ignorance of the law is no excuse and admitted memory lapses will not be met with understanding by law enforcement officers.
An Illinois man recently learned this lesson the hard way while taking in the sights and sounds of Interstate 94 in Racine County. He was pulled over after a deputy noticed him swerving and traveling at an “abnormally low speed”. After noticing the man’s slurred speech, the deputies searched his car and found marijuana as well as THC cereal bars and THC vape cartridges.
The deputies’ discoveries led to questions for the Illinois man, which were answered with “oh yeah, I forgot it’s not legal everywhere” (source).
The legalization of marijuana in Illinois has put marijuana users in Illinois and Wisconsin border towns in a precarious position. A simple traffic stop on the wrong side of the border can result in life-altering drug charges for people who fail to leave their legal marijuana in Illinois while visiting friends or traveling to work in Wisconsin. Likewise, Wisconsin residents who visit Illinois to engage in “weed tourism” can face drug charges if they fail to leave their hobby in the Land of Lincoln.
It is just as important to keep marijuana out of your system as it is to keep it out of your glove box or trunk. It’s never smart to get behind the wheel after smoking marijuana or ingesting edibles. Doing so can result in an arrest for OWI if you are found to have a “detectable amount” of the intoxicating substance in your system while operating a vehicle in Wisconsin.
Whether you call Wisconsin or Illinois home, your best bet is to seek the advice of an experienced, local defense attorney if you face OWI or drug charges in Wisconsin.
