Now that marijuana is legal in some form in 23 states, social media has become more and more public about who is using the drug and who is not.
The problem with this, however, is that the drug is still illegal on a federal level. Because of this, social media users who post pictures of themselves smoking pot could unknowingly be getting themselves into a lot of trouble.
Specifically on Instagram, photos of marijuana could potentially cost you a six-digit fine and jail time.
Instagram has specific guidelines that prohibit people from posting “unlawful” photos, but people have been putting pictures up faster than Instagram can take them down.
Although the consequences right now vary greatly by state, certain states that have strict laws against marijuana could consider a picture of someone smoking marijuana a possession felony. One example would be Arizona, where this possession felony could land you in jail for 18 months with a $150,000 fine.
Outside of serious legal repercussions, posting photos of yourself smoking pot on social media sites could have serious implications on your professional and personal lives.
Millennials beginning their job search are constantly being told to pay attention to what is on their social media pages, as this content is available on the web to anyone. With that said, this advice goes way beyond millennials with people of all ages today managing their own social media profiles.
So, before you post a picture or video of yourself smoking marijuana, think about the possible consequences that could follow.
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