A recent article by the Associated Press reports:

A federal appeals court has ruled that mobile tracking devices can be attached to suspect vehicles as part of a marijuana investigation in Oregon.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court in the case of Juan Pineda-Moreno, who argued his constitutional rights were violated when U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents attached devices to his sport utility vehicle.

What does this mean for the average medical garden?

According to Paul Loney, Legal Director at Oregon NORML, this case emphasizes the importance of a medical gardener's compliance with state law. The OMMP sets limits on the number of plants and patients a grower can care for. If a grower complies with these limits, and there is an issue with law enforcement, it will most likely remains an issue at the state level and not a matter for the federal court. Only at the state level do medical marijuana cardholders have any protection. Our lawmakers designed these limits in order to avoid putting cardholders in a conflict with federal law enforcement.

Another aspect of compliance that protects cardholders from federal jurisdiction is to only grow on private property, and only at your registered grow site.

For more information, see http://ornorml.org/medical/handbook

Finally, realize that personal privacy is under attack everyday. Don't expect any right to privacy when you are in public, or when you are in a car.