For the fifth time since joining GRL Law in 2018, Colin Murphy was once again named to the Great Plains Super Lawyers list in 2022, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice. Only 5 percent of attorneys in the region receive this distinction.
GRL recently put its knowledge of drug identification procedures to the test in a case involving alleged THC vape liquid. Police seized a vape cart during a traffic stop. Field testing of the liquid extract showed a positive color change indicating the possible presence of marijuana. Frequent readers of the GRL Law blog know that field testing can mistake CBD for marijuana. We’ve discussed this phenomenon here. This is where things get interesting. Police didn’t send the cart to the state crime lab. Instead, they sent it to a local department that employs an officer with training in marijuana identification. […]
Iowa law defines “drug paraphernalia” to include equipment used to inhale a controlled substance. However, the definition excepts those items used in combination with the lawful use of a controlled substance. How should the law treat smoking accessories used to inhale “medical cannabidiol” or the out-of-state equivalent? We put this question to the test recently in a case in North Iowa. The State charged our client with possession of drug paraphernalia for a marijuana pipe found in the passenger compartment of his car. Law enforcement also uncovered cannabis flower, which our client obtained with a valid out-of-state medical card. Medical […]
