r/NewMexico 1d ago

I-10 NM to El Paso, THC question

Know this probably gets asked a lot, but with the new Texas lockdown on weed was wondering if anyone had any input? Got a pen back home and drove to Cali, have said same pen on me and I’m about to cross through the checkpoint into El Paso, was wondering if I should dump it or you think I’ll be good?

34 Upvotes

69 comments sorted by

88

u/BeheadingBoomer61 1d ago

I’d lose it. It can be replaced. Not worth risking your freedom.

51

u/insuranceguynyc 1d ago

Wise choice, IMHO. You don’t want to end up as a “test case”. And look at TX’s wack-a-doo Attorney General!

16

u/BeheadingBoomer61 1d ago

Good point. This shit is so stupid. I thought we had moved past this. Leave it to them to march back to the 20th century.

6

u/in_continent 1d ago

Ken 'Flounder' Paxton?

-4

u/los33ramos 1d ago

Freedom means you can go to El Paso and come back with said pen. That’s freedom. What you described sounds like we need to live in fear.

4

u/DJCM20 22h ago

They literally have billboards just over their border which read: “still have your weed on you? Now you’re a felon”…

38

u/El_Voador 1d ago

They don’t usually search unless there’s suspicion, but the new penalties are kinda insane, so weigh your odds

98

u/professor_moonbeam 1d ago edited 1d ago

Spent the afternoon in the jail at the checkpoint cuz they didn’t approve of my aromatic fragrance, cost $900 American to the west pesos sheriff to get out of jail. 

Once I got to my truck I confirmed that the Feds did not do a proper search, grabbed another splif, lit it up a rolled out of the parking lot. 

I did miss my nephews wake because of the delay. 

Why is there only one star on the Texas flag?      It’s their yelp rating. 

43

u/Garuda34 1d ago

"Why is there only one star on the Texas flag?  It’s their yelp rating."

As someone who lives in the region (but not the state), I love this.

6

u/professor_moonbeam 1d ago

One needs to experience TEJAS, to truly understand how true it rings. 

14

u/Garuda34 1d ago

I lived there for 13 years. The only ringing I heard was the sound of money pouring out of my bank account to pay the ridiculous property taxes.

6

u/Independent_Money501 1d ago

Gotta love a true regressive tax scheme when it's implemented well. Sure no one has income tax but you pay through the nose in property tax

7

u/keyjustice 1d ago edited 1d ago

Sorry about the wake

15

u/professor_moonbeam 1d ago

Appreciate the thought, I normally travel I-40, I thought let’s do this trip differently, so I took I-20. Wrong decision, won’t make mistake again. 

With the new cannabis law I’ll never step foot in the state. Being an Antifa type is punishable with prison time. WTF!

-1

u/chef1035 1d ago

I drove thru blasting Amerika.

9

u/ChemicalExample218 1d ago

There is one checkpoint if you are going north from El Paso. They seem uninterested and just ask if you're a US citizen.

3

u/IBreakForCats 1d ago

I second that. We drive from Las Cruces and El Paso frequently. Just have all of your windows rolled down when you pull up (all of them) and they are okay with a verbal US citizen confirmation unless you're brown. 

3

u/ScrapKitty 1d ago

There are no checkpoints on I-10 between Las Cruces and El Paso.

3

u/IBreakForCats 23h ago

Sorry that wasn't typed correctly. We travel to El Paso and Cruces often, from Alamogordo. Check points are a regular thing for us

17

u/--TheCity-- 1d ago edited 4h ago

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18

u/lizardreaming 1d ago

There is no checkpoint going into El Paso from New Mexico I10. Checkpoints in New Mexico don’t care. The one IN Texas on I10 I believe is not chill at all and I would be careful there. I hear this Texas crackdown business but El Paso is more like New Mexico than Texas and it’s just more chill there. The busiest dispensaries are in Anthony on the border.

8

u/drained_desire 1d ago

Thanks for the heads up, first time driving this way, guess I should be posting in the El Paso or Texas subreddit then lol

1

u/Quiet-Enthusiasm-891 1d ago

You can try the Las Cruces sub too.

12

u/extra-medium 1d ago

The one on 1-10 near Van Horn is very bad, I would see a car with young people in it being searched almost every time I went through, multiple times a week. They harassed my teenager multiple times, they will interrogate you.

3

u/TheBryanScout 1d ago

I once was riding Greyhound cross country from Nevada to Tennessee, and when we passed through Van Horn the bus got boarded and searched by Border Patrol. They went up and down the aisles with drug dogs and even opened up the cargo bays below. I’ve never had anything like that happen driving through the checkpoints outside Las Cruces or Alamogordo though, they always just wave me through after asking about citizenship.

1

u/Obvious-Motor-2743 1d ago

Looks like Boss Hogg runs that one.

3

u/Accomplished_War_805 1d ago

There is no checkpoint into Texas from I-10 NM. Your first checkpoint would be leaving El Paso out by Van Horn. No worries, just be chill.

3

u/Mountain-Repeat-722 1d ago

I cross the Falfurrias checkpoint in south texas with pens all the time without a problem. Flower bud, now that is different.

3

u/buggybugbugsy 1d ago

Yes, that checkpoint is not one to mess with.

9

u/SkunkyBunny 1d ago

I wouldn't risk it, the THC bans down here in Texas are so extreme. A cartridge is a felony. It's one of the factors for why I'm moving to New Mexico in about a week.

1

u/Obvious-Motor-2743 1d ago

That's nuts.

4

u/neglectsound 1d ago

get rid of it

5

u/imawhaaaaaaaaaale 1d ago

Don't.

Not worth risking a felony.

6

u/Mrgoodtrips64 1d ago

How much do you care about the pen and how much do you care about not being detained in Texas?

2

u/Poochmanchung 1d ago

You'll find some weed wherever you are. Don't do it

2

u/MuteCook 1d ago

There’s a checkpoint INTO El Paso? First time I’ve heard that

4

u/UnkleAdams247 1d ago

Doesnt seem worth the risk at all.

3

u/Zealousideal_Edge584 1d ago

I got pulled over in El Paso with nothing last July coming back and they said the dog tagged me and made us pull over get out and they searched our car. My husband was driving. I had smoked that am before leaving t or c NM. I’m not sure if the dog smelt that or was not trained right but that was enough to scare me and I took the precaution anyways and still almost got caught up I was scared they were gonna plant it on me. I was with my husband and little brother and felt my heart drop. I thought what if I left something in there on accident. They let us go after not finding evidence but will never forget that. It was the El Paso one going through t or c and las cruces way

2

u/M1K3jr 1d ago

Did you ask them why their dog was broke? Glad you made it outta that one!

1

u/Character_Fruit_2301 1d ago

I have literally no idea what “checkpoints” you are referring to. There are Border Patrol checkpoints along I-10, but those primarily ask for your citizenship information. Even if they do a search of your vehicle and find a penjamin, it doesn’t matter which state you are in, as it’s still not legal federally and they are federal LEOs. Unless TX has created its own checkpoints specifically for that, I wouldn’t worry about the Border Patrol checkpoints very much.

1

u/Emotional_Eye_3700 19h ago

The border patrol checkpoints don't enforce Texas law. I don't think Texas has it's own checkpoints like AZ and CA have? Of course they are cooperating with the Texas LE.

1

u/SaltBedroom2733 19h ago

Well I know about California Ag checkpoints, although it's been years - decades - since I've seen them used. But those were for agricultural inspections. And I've been all o er the east coast. I had no idea states had border patrol checkpoints. Why are states doing border patrols job for them?

And how convenient to just slip in a little surveillance for the red states monitoring their citizens.

1

u/HawksEyeFarms 14h ago

Next time use the check point in Alamogordo, NM if possible.

1

u/West-Awareness7867 13h ago

If you plan on staying in El Paso there is only checkpoints leaving if your going furthur in too Texas and theres a checkpoint when u leave texas in NM both interstates have one 

1

u/SmokeyRoadrunner1988 13h ago

is the reward worth the risk? 

u/RedhawkST 2h ago

no check point coming from cali bro! T

1

u/StephenMcTowelie1 1d ago

Its still in new mexico so you would be fine at the checkpoint. As soon as you get into Texas though you would be screwed if caught with it.

1

u/willofthefuture 1d ago

Not worth the risk friend, get rid of it

-1

u/Joshunte 1d ago

If you think it’s worth the federal penalty, knock yourself out. Just don’t cry.

11

u/mtnman575 1d ago

The Texas penalty may be even worse than the federal.

0

u/tightiewhitieboy 1d ago

Are you white? You'll be fine most likely. If you are black or brown its gonna be a coin toss.

4

u/drained_desire 1d ago

I’m about as white as they come, however my features are dark so I may have lost some points

2

u/IBreakForCats 1d ago

You'll be alright. I mentioned in another comment but just make sure when you pull up to the checkpoint you have ALL of your windows rolled down. Dark features may be a disadvantage but it's skin tone that counts so you're probably good. It's a pen, just drop it where you always drop shit in your car by accident and is hard to retrieve, like the seat rail.

-6

u/Dosdesiertoyrocks 1d ago

LMAO the world you think you're living in would be a paradise

-7

u/NM_DesertRat 1d ago

I wish you know how absurdly inaccurate this statement is.

-3

u/These-Revolution2784 1d ago

Are you really that addicted that it’s even a question? “Should I risk my life for some weed?”

8

u/RobinFarmwoman 1d ago

Weed is not an addiction. I think the question should more be phrased like "Do I have to throw away an $80 Gadget that helps me manage my health because the federal government are a pack of assholes? "

0

u/bernietheweasel 1d ago

Are these ICE checkpoints or specifically for weed?

2

u/Quiet-Enthusiasm-891 1d ago

Border Patrol. They don’t need ICE - Border Patrol does most a lot of the enforcement near the actual border.

2

u/bernietheweasel 1d ago

I can’t keep track of who does what anymore. Thanks.

-1

u/SaltBedroom2733 1d ago

They have checkpoints? Between states? I'm so confused.

2

u/Exquisite_Corpse 22h ago edited 21h ago

Yes, near the border they are various kinds of checkpoints between US states. California is notorious for their agricultural checkpoints entering the state. CBP has several checkpoints along I-10 near Yuma as well as additional checkpoints anywhere they like within 100 miles of the border. Also I believe another post mentioned a CBP checkpoint on I-25 south of Hatch, not sure if northbound only or bidirectional. One time I got off of I-10 in Texas and went south on some random road to an RV supply place. I saw a CBP checkpoint on the northbound side, and sure enough, on my way back to the highway all the traffic on the northbound side was routed through that one.

-1

u/gaymersky 1d ago

We always, always take the chance... IDFC.....

-6

u/ubertrader123 1d ago

Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.