Originally Posted by GUWonder
US jurisdiction does not generally extend to drug use overseas; however, possession -- even internal possession -- can certainly land someone coming back to the US in trouble since possession is a crime.
What, pray tell, is "internal possession"? You aren't alluding to illicit drugs secreted in body cavities, including the intestinal tract, are you? If caught "internally" possessing like that in this country, you will be subject to the legal consequences, probably jail time, in this country, without regard to where you were when you stashed them on/in your body. I can't imagine how having the metabolites of illicit drugs detectable in your blood, urine, or other body fluids/tissues could subject you to criminal penalties, unless perhaps you were a military member subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, someone attempting to pilot a plane, or otherwise in a very special status.
Originally Posted by cj001f
From the Dept of States website:
"Once you leave the United States, you are not covered by U.S. laws and constitutional rights."
I think you may have misunderstood the intended meaning of this advice. I believe the point being made is that you may be subject to different laws than those here in the United States when you are in another country, and certain legal protections we are accustomed to here may not apply elsewhere. I don't think it should be understood to mean that whatever you may do in another country cannot have legal consequences for you back home in this country. For example, the US has started to prosecute those returning to this country after engaging in "sexual tourism" with children. While the conduct took place over there, they can be tried here and do jail time here.