Law Makes It Illegal To Drive With Any Open Container Of Useable Cannabis Product Inside Vehicle

Do you keep cannabis in your car? If so, you may want to re-think that habit and vacuum the carpet.

Effective September 26, 2015, a new Washington State law makes it illegal to drive with any open container of useable cannabis product inside a vehicle. The only clear and obvious exception to this rule is the trunk of the car, or some other compartment not accessible to any passenger. The glove box specifically does not count as a valid compartment.

Open container laws are nothing new. Under Washington law, it has been illegal for decades to have an open container of alcohol in your vehicle. This new law merely extends that old law to include marijuana in order to discourage high-driving, just as the existing laws discouraged drunk-driving. See the Joint Blog for a quick summary.

As always, stay safe out there…and don’t drive high.

**This is a repost from our blog that originally appeared on July 20, 2015.**