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More People Claiming They've Been Targeted For Their Colorado Plates

DENVER (CBS4) – More people are claiming they are being pulled over out of state to see if they have marijuana simply because they have Colorado license plates.

They strongly suspect it's because Colorado stores now legally sell marijuana to those over the age of 21.

The Colorado Drug Investigators Association says there have been a lot of seizures of marijuana from cars leaving Colorado and going out of state.

Drivers are complaining they are being stopped for no good reason.

David Atkins says a Nevada State Trooper in an unmarked car following a different driver suddenly started following him and turned on his flashers.

"There was no reason for him to pull us over. Why did he pull us over? Only because we had a Colorado license plate and he stuck his head in there and started sniffing as soon as he came up to the car," said Adkins.

David Atkins
David Atkins, left (credit: CBS)

This was shortly after Colorado started allowing sales of recreational marijuana.

"Didn't ask for license, registration, nothing. He just pulled us over because just to check to see if we had pot," said Adkins.

Elsewhere in Idaho, Darien Roseen filed a lawsuit against the state patrol there in federal court.

In it he claims he was pulled over because he had Colorado license plates.

In Illinois, Mark Jennings says he was stopped more than once by the state police.

Mark Jennings
Mark Jennings (credit: CBS)

"I was stopped three different times, the first time a check, the second time was the actual issue with the inside of my car," said Jennings

He says one officer told him his air freshener was obstructing his view but then he was told to get out of his car.

"'I believe it was either three or four other state troopers pulled up in other vehicles," said Jennings.

Jennings says he waited for 45 minutes while officers searched his vehicle.

"The Colorado license plates didn't hit me until I was sitting in the car and watched the other vehicles pull up Then at that point I knew for sure it was absolutely them thinking I was taking drugs from Colorado into another state," said Jennings.

According to the head of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program, many of the cars being stopped with pot have plates from other states and are returning from making purchases.

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