# Is purchasing rolling papers probable cause for police to search your car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-purchasing-rolling-papers-probable-cause-for-police-to-search-your-car/367377 "2006-08-04T19:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jean\_Poutine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@Jean\_Poutine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jean_Poutine)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-purchasing-rolling-papers-probable-cause-for-police-to-search-your-car/367377/1 "2006-08-04T19:37:42Z")
If the purchaser reeks of marijuana and is glassy eyed and stumbling around the Mini-mart and knocks over a display when walking out, I can see where it would be. But a person not showing any signs of usage, purchasing a pack of 1.25’s along with various sundries, can you then have your car searched by the police? I am in the US, but input on any country is good. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-purchasing-rolling-papers-probable-cause-for-police-to-search-your-car/367377/2 "2006-08-04T19:42:09Z")
[QUOTE=Jean Poutine] If the purchaser reeks of marijuana and is glassy eyed and stumbling around the Mini-mart and knocks over a display when walking out, I can see where it would be. But a person not showing any signs of usage, purchasing a pack of 1.25’s along with various sundries, can you then have your car searched by the police? I am in the US, but input on any country is good. [/QUOTE] They are explictially excluded from [DEA](http://www.dea.gov/ongoing/pipedreams.html) 's list of Drug Paraphernalia > [@](#): > > Drug paraphernalia does not include any items traditionally used with tobacco, like pipes and rolling papers. So I guess no, but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Blanche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Blanche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blanche)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-purchasing-rolling-papers-probable-cause-for-police-to-search-your-car/367377/3 "2006-08-04T19:54:26Z")
Though they might not have probable cause to search you, you can bet that a lot of cops will start looking for probable cause if they see some Zig-Zags in your car on a traffic stop. They might notice a smell that they hadn’t noticed before, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-purchasing-rolling-papers-probable-cause-for-police-to-search-your-car/367377/4 "2006-08-04T21:31:25Z")
Well, I wouldn’t bother to seach you - you got ripped off if you don’t look stoned man! The US has fairly hysterical laws on ganja smoking so it doesn’t surprise me. Good heavens, clear eye eye drops may soon fall into this catagory - and excess purchases of munchie type foods, funny movies, condoms, manuals on how to drive a bit faster etc. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-purchasing-rolling-papers-probable-cause-for-police-to-search-your-car/367377/5 "2006-08-04T22:21:45Z")
I’ve been rolling my own for 30 years and it has never, ever been an issue. Although 1.25s are crap for rolling cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-purchasing-rolling-papers-probable-cause-for-police-to-search-your-car/367377/6 "2006-08-04T22:41:59Z")
[QUOTE=Bam Boo Gut] Well, I wouldn’t bother to seach you - you got ripped off if you don’t look stoned man! The US has fairly hysterical laws on ganja smoking so it doesn’t surprise me. Good heavens, clear eye eye drops may soon fall into this catagory - and excess purchases of munchie type foods, funny movies, condoms, manuals on how to drive a bit faster etc. [/QUOTE] By saying “I wouldn’t bother to search you” implies you are a cop. [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=382676) not so much. ??? ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-purchasing-rolling-papers-probable-cause-for-police-to-search-your-car/367377/7 "2006-08-04T23:12:55Z")
This case says rolling papers alone do not give rise to probable cause: [http://www.tsc.state.tn.us/opinions/tcca/PDF/994/colzieag.pdf](http://www.tsc.state.tn.us/opinions/tcca/PDF/994/colzieag.pdf) (reviewing cases nationwide).