ST. LOUIS — Missourians will be able to buy recreational marijuana by early February, but both attorneys and police are unsure what the drug’s legalization means for police departments, officers and residents.
Attorneys speculated that charges for driving while intoxicated could rise as the use of marijuana increases. And they said the shift in law could prevent police officers from using marijuana odor as probable cause to search a vehicle during a traffic stop.
“It will be interesting because (attorneys) have complained for some time that law enforcement will use the smell of marijuana as an excuse to get into somebody’s car,” said Jill Schaefer, a defense attorney based in Clayton.
