COPS gave me warning for smoking marijuana in my car..feeling really paranoid..some1 help me pleasee?

Question

So i just turned 19 living in Toronto..me a couple buddies were smoking weed in my car at 12 AM in a park..cops came through and i admitted that i had a pipe and 1 gram of weed on us..after a long talk he took a lot of personal details from me (weight, height, even my tattoos) he gave the pipe back and gave a warning and now am in their database..he said in the future if i was stopped again i am required to tell the cop about this incident because i am now on their systems..i am really paranoid about this..should i be worried? how long do warnings last? what if i lie in the future will it come up against me? someone please help and thank you (real life experiences would help a lot)

Answer 1

smoke in the projects, we never get cited

Answer 2

Can only really comment as to how it is in the UK and not your locale but here goes:

In future if you are stopped again, and are ASKED you are required to inform as having been warned (conditional caution).

Should you be worried, well that all depends on how you intend to proceed from this point onwards...Let's just say that it might be advisory to be more cautious about where you are and what you are doing in future.

The warnings last forever........Although in practice, it will probably disappear after 5 years from the police computer....(Once again this is for the UK, although I'd assume that Canada, would be very similar)

If in the future you would choose to not mention the incident, and it comes up when your records are checked (given that you gave personal details about yourself, including descriptions of personal tattoo's and their locations, you SHOULD assume that any check will bring this warning to their attention)  it will reflect badly on both your character, and reliability -- which will not help when dealing with authorities.

You should note also  that should a crime be committed by someone with a similar description to yourself, you may find yourself questioned in relation to any investigation (So lets hope that the local Coke Mule doesn't look like you, or have similar tattoo's huh?)

OK enough of the negative, how about some positive news, just to make you feel a little brighter...

A warning is just that, a warning.   No more, no less....It is advice for you to change your current proclivities, if you are caught doing something similar in the future, don't expect just a warning...

However, for what you were caught with, in the UK with Cannabis being categorized as a Class C Drug currently, your crime amounts to a misdemeanor rather than a something serious.  This may not stand quite so true in Canada, but I believe that the law in Canada to be fairly tolerant of Marijuana usage, at least in small doses anyhow, certainly Canadians I have spoken to seem to be.

You at least don't have to mention the warning when applying for employment, unlike a conviction, although, most employers may have concerns over hiring someone who smokes pot.

You can in future petition a court to have your record expunged (cleared) should this continue to worry you, however, as it was a warning over a possible drugs offense, I'd suggest that prior to making an application for this to happen, perhaps attending drugs counseling, and getting involved with an anti drugs group, perhaps talking to high school students, about your experiences, including receiving this warning, would reflect positively.

If you wanted to be real smart, contact the station, and speak to the officer who issued the warning, and ask him, if it were possible for you to do both of the above, as this shows a willing to reform, would allow him if he sees you in future, to remember you as a nice young man(woman - sorry can't currently see your profile details), and would also allow for your willingness to change to be noted upon your record also....(if they are going to hold your details, you'd at least like some notes showing the positive as well as the negative I'd guess).

Good Luck in everything you do from here on in, I'd really advise the speaking (very nicely) to the officer who caught you, he really could have charged you, and I'd guess that the main reason he didn't was your co-operation, and honesty about what you had and why.  Sounds like he's a good honest cop, and if you are choosing to be involved in misdemeanor crimes, it's probably good to have someone in the force that you could approach in future, should anything unfortunate happen.

Use this experience to your benefit, ie learn, and adapt.

POSTSCRIPT: At 19 you are an Adult, this really could've gone a lot further than just a warning.

Answer 3

If you quit smoking pot your paranoia will surely subside

Answer 4

If it works there the way it does in the United States, you aren't required to tell them *anything* and, what's more, it isn't in your interest to do so. Just politely decline to answer any questions. Do not lie to them, because while you have the right to remain silent, lying is a crime. Ask if you are under arrest, and if so, decline to say anything until you have counsel. And whatever you do, don't trust them and don't antagonize them. They will lie to you, and if you bug them, they will arrest you on trumped-up charges.

Answer 5

The Canada laws regarding POT have been regarded as unconstitutional.  If your story is true, that cop deliberately lied to you.  Nothing goes in the record unless you had an opportunity to state your case.  Being pulled over with nothing in writing means he let you go and the incident is over with no further repercussions.

Answer 6

Marijuana is known to cause paranoia. Stop doing it and you won't have to worry anymore.

Answer 7

You better stop now while you can.

They going to be watching you and the first chance they get to sneak up and run up on you they will be there.

They waiting until you got more on you and believe me you better watch those cars that follow you or the ones that park near the house that never used to park there Oh and watch the utility people and street folks and Garbage men too yea they are sneaky

Answer 8

My boy friends dads a sheriff in compton. You don't have to say **** to a cop they just try to get into you'r head by asking the same questions over and over. For instance if you get pulled over and a cop asks if he can breathalize you you can say no I wan't to be blood tested and it takes alot longer so the alcholol b that time most or all would be out of your system.  Everytime u get pulled over it's always a warning there trying to scare you. When your blazing/ smoking in the car drive while smoking it's smarter than stopping cuz that looks really sketchy.

Answer 9

So you were smoking weed and you are feeling paranoid?  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Answer 10

i'm in new york and i don't have to tell them anything, not sure about toronto. you're lucky you got your pipe back but they're softer on it up there. When i was a teenager they'd sometimes make us dump it out and grind it in the ground and let us go. I think he was just messing with you. It's only a lie if they ask. They might ask do you have any warrants out for your arrest, you can honestly say no, no ones looking for you. They may say do you have any prior convictions, you never went to court or got convicted. They'll say have you ever talked to a cop before or been pulled over, now we're getting closer to the truth but i never heard a cop ask that. If he says were you pulled over on august 15th and found smoking weed in the park, well yeah i was and you obviously know it. May give them cause to search you though idk. I wouldn't worry.