In a pivotal ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court declared that the mere smell of marijuana is not enough justification for police to search a vehicle.
According to the Minnesota Reformer, this decision goes back to 2021 when Adam Torgerson was pulled over for a vehicular infraction in Litchfield, MN.
Alleging marijuana odor from his car, police officers conducted a search and uncovered traces of methamphetamine. The justification for the search was the supposed aroma of marijuana.
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Legal Context: A Gray Area
Initially, the district court discarded the evidence, considering the evolving status of marijuana laws. By 2021, …