You can legally buy or grow marijuana in California. This is true for both medical users and recreational users. Many states have begun to legalize marijuana in a way that has never been seen before, with new states being added almost yearly. California was one of the first.
As such, people in California tend not to even think of marijuana as an illegal substance. They think of it more like medication or perhaps the same way that they think about alcohol. Smoking a joint or taking an edible seems the same as having a glass of wine.
With this in mind, those who are going on a trip may not think twice about taking marijuana with them. They’re used to using it, they still want to have it on their vacation or business trip, and so they’re going to travel with it. But are they allowed to do so?
You cannot cross state lines
The reality is that you actually are not supposed to travel with marijuana. For one thing, going to other states means that you’d be subjected to their marijuana laws. If you drove to a state where THC was still illegal, you would be in violation of the law, even though you originally purchased it in California.
Additionally, crossing state lines with marijuana can turn it into a federal crime. Remember that marijuana is only legal at the state level and not the federal level. So you could technically face federal charges, even if you cross the state line into another state that also has legal marijuana.
If you do, find yourself facing serious legal charges, get legal help to carefully look into all of your defense options.