O beautiful for righteous highs, For amber waves of weed, From Purple Diesel’s majesties, So dank and free of seeds!
O beautiful for righteous highs, For amber waves of weed, From Purple Diesel’s majesties, So dank and free of seeds! ATYPEEK VIA GETTY IMAGES

It’s been an intense week of ups and downs for the privacy rights of pot users: Sessions is pushing for civil asset forfeiture, Colorado cops won’t search cars even if their K-9s smell weed, but in Connecticut, they can search your house without seeking homeowner permission. Also, can weed be used for working out? Read on…

Half of all Americans Have Smoked Weed!

According to a new Gallup poll, at least 45 percent of all Americans have tried marijuana at some point (compared to only 4 percent when Gallup first asked the question in 1969). That means if you haven’t tried it, SOMEONE YOU KNOW SURELY HAS.

If You Are a Suspected Drug Dealer, Sessions Says Cops Can Take Your Stuff

The Attorney General is on a roll—first by directing federal prosecutors to seek minimum mandatory sentences (a practice widely discredited as being cruel and ineffective), and now, by issuing a new directive on civil asset forfeiture—“especially for drug traffickers,” he said in a speech on Monday.

What is “civil asset forfeiture”? It’s a highly controversial practice that allows police to seize money or goods from people suspected of a crime—suspected, mind you, not actually convicted—without much accountability. According to the Washington Post, the DEA has taken more than $3 billion dollars from people not yet charged with any crime.

But Luckily, They Can’t Search Your Car if it Smells Like Weed (at Least in Colorado)

A Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that since marijuana is now legal in the state, even if drug-sniffing K-9 dogs smell weed in your car, it’s not cause enough for searching your car without a warrant. The judge ruled that under Colorado law, people have “a legitimate expectation of privacy”—imagine that!

But Unfortunately, They Can Search Your Apartment Without Permission from the Owner (at Least in Connecticut)

The state’s highest court ruled that police don’t need no stinkin’ warrants, or even permission from the landlord or homeowner to search suspect’s homes for marijuana.

And Employers Can’t Fire People for Consuming Medical Marijuana (at Least in Massachusetts)

Cristina Barbuto uses medical marijuana to treat the symptoms of her Crohn's Disease, which she fully disclosed to her employer when she was hired in 2014. After failing her drug test, she was still fired after only a day on the job. Now, in what Leafly’s Ben Adlin describes as a “game changer” for medical marijuana patients, she’s won the right to sue her former employers for letting her go.

Weed for Working Out?

Our weed correspondent, Lester Black, likes to work out. Good for him! That sounds healthy. He also like to hit the jah right before his workout, which he says makes him a better cyclist and swimmer. While biking and swimming are popular weed-fueled excerscies, yoga seems to be the activity of choice among cannabis consumers. I like to smoke weed right before watching Netflix, um, does that count?