Instagram users who post pictures of themselves smoking marijuana could unknowingly be getting themselves into a lot of trouble.
As marijuana laws get looser around the country, the trend is becoming more and more prevalent. And though Instagram guidelines prohibits people from posting “unlawful” photos and other content, users are posting the pictures fast than the site can take them down. “Even though 23 states have legalized medical marijuana and four states have legalized recreational marijuana, marijuana remains illegal federally,” said former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Patricia D’Orsa-Dijamco to Fox News.
A man smokes marijuana.Photograph by — Sean Gallup Getty Images
A six-digit fine and jail time, to be exact
Instagram users who post pictures of themselves smoking marijuana could unknowingly be getting themselves into a lot of trouble.
As marijuana laws get looser around the country, the trend is becoming more and more prevalent. And though Instagram guidelines prohibits people from posting “unlawful” photos and other content, users are posting the pictures fast than the site can take them down. “Even though 23 states have legalized medical marijuana and four states have legalized recreational marijuana, marijuana remains illegal federally,” said former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Patricia D’Orsa-Dijamco to Fox News.
Though the consequences could be different depending where you are, social media strategist Shannon Self told Fox that in states with harsh laws against marijuana, “a photograph of someone smoking weed documents a possession felony.” In Arizona, for example, that alone could cost you a $150,000 fine and an 18-month jail sentence.
Read more from the Source: Marijuana Photos on Instagram Could Cost You Big – Fortune
