Patrick Jiron, 80, and wife Barbara, 70, were pulled over in Nebraska while driving from California to Vermont to visit friends and family.

Police said they pulled the couple over for traffic violations, but immediately smelled a pungent odour and a subsequent search of their pickup truck turned up 27 kilograms of high-quality cannabis.

The couple told officers that they planned to give the cannabis to family and friends for Christmas and did not know they were committing an offence, the York News-Times reports.

Mr Jiron was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and having no drug tax stamp and has since been released on bail. Ms Jiron was cited but not jailed for medical reasons.