Many marijuana and other drug related offenses begin with a seemingly innocent street encounter between a defendant and law enforcement agents.

In this regard, it has been said that mere inquiries made by a police officer to a suspect who is already stopped, either on foot or in a vehicle does not require any constitutional justification (i.e. probable cause for an arrest or articulable suspicion for brief investigatory questioning) provided that the encounter is non-intrusive and fleeting in its terms.  In order for an encounter to be non-intrusive, the questioning must be in a conversational matter, without any demands, orders or harassment. If there is any indication of criminal suspicion associated with the encounter articulable suspicion will be required.