Time and again, people who smoke pot are checked by the police. What can you do as a smoker to minimize your risk?

In short (everything is explained in more detail below):

• It is better to consume in private than in public.
• It is better to consume pre-rolled joints than to roll in public.
• It is better to bunker down than having weed on your person.
• Much less odor due to vaporizing instead of smoking.
• Do not record consumption on technical devices.

If (plainclothes) police officers surprise you while you are smoking, the only thing left to do is damage limitation. What is found on you during a personal check is probably also yours, you can usually no longer deny anything. However, if you have less than 10 grams with you, you will usually only get a fixed penalty for 100 francs (for consumption, possession of up to 10 grams for your own consumption is not a crime).

Especially rolling joints in public is tricky: It is conspicuous and you are fixated with your eyes on the mixture and the joint for a long time. It is more intelligent to pre-roll the required number of joints at home, if you can't smoke them in private homes. Then you can smoke the joint quickly and efficiently in a quiet place. If you have only one joint with you, you can even safely throw it away when you see the police coming (most efficiently into the water or a storm drain; although in certain areas you will have to accept a fine for littering).

If you see or hear the police coming, you can move away as inconspicuously as possible. However, especially in a scene like an outdoor weed hangout, this is not so good: only if we stand together, it offends them. In this case you can hide your piece, your weed bag. Optimally of course in such a way that you will find it again after surviving police harassment! In such a bunker your piece is in good hands and you are safe from charges.

People who use exclusively at home have massively fewer problems than people who smoke pot outside. But the smoke and the smell can also cause problems in private homes. The neighbors can smell it - depending on the wind force, you can easily smell fat weed joints up to 50 meters away. But here, too, there are ways to camouflage. On the one hand, you can eat THC: A yogurt with hash - nobody smells anything. A Guetzli with cannabis butter also does not cause any odor problems. However, you have to have the dosage under control!

Furthermore, there are now very good vaporization devices that dissolve the THC by means of hot air, so that you can inhale it. Since there is no smoke, the emissions are extremely small. The smell dissipates after only a few centimeters. Such devices can also serve well in rooms where there are no windows (e.g., practice venues).

We regularly take a closer look at vaporization devices and compile test reports. You can find them in our magazine Legalize it! or on our website www.hanflegal.ch. Members are welcome to test a number of vaporizers themselves in our office.

As long as the ban is in place, the solution can only be: Camouflage is half the battle. And not to forget: Clothes make the man!

Here is a general warning: Electronic means of communication can be partially or completely monitored(list which data of which messenger can be sent to criminal prosecution ). Even if the content of the message is encrypted (e.g. WhatsApp), the criminal prosecution will quickly find out that you have written something, e.g. with a dealer. And even if you encrypt or delete your messages after sending them, they can still end up in the hands of law enforcement agencies if the cell phone is confiscated on the receiving end.