Carolina Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyer UpdatesQUICK ANSWER: In North Carolina, marijuana possession remains illegal under NCGS ยง 90-94, regardless of changing attitudes in other states. Charlotte courtrooms now explicitly ban marijuana odor with posted signs. While the smell itself isn’t a crime, appearing in court smelling like marijuana can damage your credibility, affect sentencing decisions, and signal disrespect to judges, potentially worsening case outcomes before you say a word.