As California Legalizes Pot, Laws Collide At US Checkpoints

PINE VALLEY, Calif. (AP) – California legalizes marijuana for recreational use Monday, but that won’t stop federal agents from seizing the drug on busy freeways and backcountry highways. Marijuana possession still will be prohibited at eight Border Patrol checkpoints in California, a reminder that state and federal law collide when it comes to pot. The checkpoints are up to 100 miles from Mexico and are considered a final line of defense against illegal immigration. They’re also a trap for people carrying drugs, even tiny bags of marijuana. California’s new law allows anyone 21 and over to carry up to an ounce (28 grams) of marijuana. A recent government report found 40 percent of pot seizures at Border Patrol checkpoints from fiscal years 2013 to 2016 were an ounce or less from U.S. citizens.

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