Reversing a previous ruling from before the legalization of marijuana, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the smell of burnt cannabis alone is not enough to justify a warrantless police search of a vehicle.

In a 6-0 ruling, the court found that cannabis laws in Illinois had evolved to the point that just catching a whiff of burnt weed is no longer enough probable cause for police to search a vehicle.

The smell of burnt marijuana is no longer grounds to search a vehicle, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The ruling stems from a traffic stop in 2020 during which officers pulled over Ryan Redmond for traveling 73 mph in a 70 mph zone on U.

An odor of burnt marijuana doesn’t justify a search of a car without a warrant in Illinois, the state Supreme Court said Thursday.