Whatever you do, don’t act nervous.
These were the instructions practically embedded into the Associated Press report that warned Californians of federal agents’ intent to still enforce national drug laws at road checkpoints after weed goes fully legal next week.
That means that even though recreational cannabis becomes legal across California on Jan. 1, U.S. Border Patrol agents will still be searching for signs of “drug smuggling” at checkpoints the agency sometimes sets up on major freeways and rural highways.
The Border Patrol has the right to operate such checkpoints up to 100 miles from the country’s boundaries, which is constitutionally questionable but has long been the status quo.