Today is the big day in Washington State. Twenty-two state-licensed marijuana stores will open, including two in Bellingham, Washington. But before traveling south, there are important things Canadians need to know about the complicated legal landscape surrounding marijuana in Washington state.

1.  Crossing the Border

Telling the border agents that you are coming to buy marijuana will not be well-received and will likely get you turned around, if not banned from the U.S. for life.

Canadians look to potential trips to Washington marijuana stores.

The possession of any marijuana in the U.S. still violates federal law, and explaining the details of your trip will essentially mean you are admitting to entering with the intention of breaking federal law. It is important not to lie either. The border officials can usually pick up on the dishonesty, particularly if you and your travel companions are separated for questioning. The fact is, coming to Washington just to visit a pot store is highly inadvisable until the federal officials change their policy.

2.  Marijuana is Expensive, and There Will Be Long Lines

The novelty of legally buying marijuana may lose its fun after you have stood outside in the sun for 10 hours. Remember that every marijuana enthusiast in the state will be out to commemorate the occasion, and the lines could be very long, and supplies are likely to run out. Marijuana is expected to sell at a minimum of $25 per gram.

 3.  Don’t Forget Your ID

Washington marijuana is only for sale to people over 21 years old, and most stores are planning on “carding” everyone lest they run afoul of the Liquor Control Board. The stores have invested huge sums of start-up capital, and they don’t want to risk lose their license the first week.

4.  No Anonymity

Remember as a first-day customer you are being a part of history. This means the TV cameras will be rolling, and the journalists will be out in droves. If you are standing on a public sidewalk in Spokane or Seattle, you are fair game for any AP photographer that wants to syndicate the photograph all over the world.

5.  No Place to Smoke

It is illegal to smoke marijuana in public, and almost all hotels do not allow smoking. The law intends for customers to bring the marijuana home to smoke. If your home is in Vancouver, you cannot legally bring the product across the border.

6.  Intent to Deliver

Remember that only a store is allowed to sell marijuana. It is against state law for a customer to then sell the marijuana even with his or her friends to spilt the expense. This activity was not decriminalized under I-502, and an intent to do so amounts to possession with intent to deliver.

7.  Marijuana DUI

Part of the initiative that decriminalized marijuana was a provision that made it illegal to drive with over 5 nano grams of THC in their blood. It is hard for someone to know exactly what their THC level is at any particular time. It is likely the police will be out in a show of force the first week the stores are open to make arrests for marijuana DUI.

8.  Be Wary of Marijuana Edibles

As with Colorado there will be stories of infrequent marijuana users ingesting too much THC in edible form.  The drug can take three hours to take effect when ingested orally, and 8 or 10 hours to wear off.  For example, when columnist Maureen Dowd visited a dispensary she ingested a marijuana candy bar that contained 16 doses and ended up “curled up in a hallucinatory state for the next eight hours” and was “panting and paranoid” and convinced that she had died. No stores will be selling edibles this first week because the state hasn’t issued any such licenses yet.

To read our past posts about marijuana decriminalization, click here, or for more information about state drug laws, click here.