united-states immigration borders
Is it illegal to smoke marijuana, or be caught with it, or both?
<p>I am currently watching a TV show called Border Security, and in this show, immigration officers interview potential candidates for entry into their country, in suspicion that they may have something to do with narcotics.</p>

<p>Usually what I see is that the immigrations officers say something along the lines of this:</p>

<p><strong>I don't care if you have smoken pot on your own free time or in the past, you simply cannot be transporting any across the border</strong></p>

<p>As I am not a citizen of the USA, I have a couple of questions.</p>

<p>1) Is <strong>smoking</strong> pot illegal?</p>

<p>2) Is it only illegal <strong>if you are caught with it in your possession?</strong></p>

<p>3) If someone has admitted to smoking pot in the <strong>past, but do not have it on them</strong>, can they still go to jail?</p>

<p>4) Many of the immigrants on Border Security have admitted to smoking pot within the last week, but they are still allowed across the border?</p>

<p>Marijuana for recreational usage is still illegal in 42 states in the US. The only states where <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/where-can-you-legally-smoke-weed-2017-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">marijuana is legal</a> are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and the District of Columbia. </p>

<ol>
<li>Smoking pot for recreational usage is illegal in those states other than what is listed above. </li>
<li>This depends. If your property is being searched for another crime and they find marijuana, then you could also be charged with possession of marijuana. </li>
<li>No, you most likely will not be taken to jail if you admitted to smoking marijuana in the past. </li>
<li>That is because the individuals are not committing a crime right there and then. Many people have committed crime in the past (i.e. steal candy from a store, consumed alcohol before 21 in the US, etc) but carry on with their lives and don't get charged with a crime when they admit to it later. </li>
</ol>
