Reversing a previous ruling from before the legalization of marijuana, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the smell of burnt cannabis alone is not enough to justify a warrantless police search of a vehicle.

The smell of burnt marijuana is no longer grounds to search a vehicle, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The ruling stems from a traffic stop in 2020 during which officers pulled over Ryan Redmond for traveling 73 mph in a 70 mph zone on U.

Law enforcement officers in Illinois cannot rely on the smell of burnt cannabis alone to justify searching a vehicle without a warrant, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.