If you do not have the right legal representation, marijuana charges can be a big issue. Do not leave room for the possibility of a conviction for marijuana possession or distribution. Despite the allowed use of medical marijuana (under extremely specific and controlled situations), New Jersey will go after people arrested for using, selling and growing pot. If you have been arrested for pot possession, your Highlands, New Jersey lawyer can help you through the legal steps.
New Jersey considers marijuana a Schedule 1 Controlled Dangerous Substance. If you have control of over 50 grams of marijuana on you when you are taken into custody, it will lead to felony charges.
Even if you are arrested with a relatively tiny amount of pot on your person, you may still get charged with intention to sell. The state will sometimes pursue charges for the intent to sell, which is treated the equivalent of being caught in the act of actually distributing pot. Typically, the intent to sell is a more severe charge than possession. A Highlands criminal defense attorney may help get your distribution allegations lessened to possession.
As a previous municipal prosecutor and public defender, Carmine Villani, Esq. has uncommon experience for a marijuana criminal defense lawyer. Villani & DeLuca opened in 1996 and has been battling pot charges for clients ever since.
{The severity of the accusations that can be brought against you in NJ differ depending on the specifics of your situation, such as the amount of marijuana found on your person, the location of your arrest and the intentions perceived by law enforcement and the prosecution.|Were you arrested with a large quantity of marijuana in your possession? Dependent upon the unique situation of , including type of drug packaging, presence of drug paraphernalia, and quantities of marijuana, prosecution may decide to charge you with the the intention to sell instead of just possession.
Being found guilty of pot possession of under 50 grams can give rise to sentences ofup to half a year months imprisonment and a maximum fine of $1000. However, the punishment can be as much as 18 months in prison with a maximum fine of $25,000, when the quantity of marijuana passes 50 grams.
Penalties for distribution charges are typically more extensive than consequences for simple possession would be in NJ. Distribution of less than an ounce of pot is a fourth degree crime and may lead to penalties of a mac sentence of 18 months in prison and $10,000 in fines. A decision that results in your conviction for selling in the first degree, you might end up in prison for as long as twenty years with a maximum fine of $300,000.
An arrest in a protected zone upgrades a smaller penalty into a more severe one. Protected zones are in or near schools and public parks. A school zone actually extends 1,000 feet from labeled buildings operated by the school district. School does not need to be in session for a protected zone penalty to affect your charges. Distributing drugs in or near a school is especially serious. But, you could still be able to dispute your charges, with the advice of a marijuana attorney.
NJ does have a medicinal marijuana program, but it is extremely regulated in the sense that not many people qualify for it. Even though you might be allowed to use medical marijuana in one state, NJ’s medical marijuana program does not accept many illnesses. While certain states have extremely tolerant medical marijuana policies, NJ does not. Medical marijuana is reserved for only serious health concerns and possibly life-threatening illnesses.
Get in touch with Villani & DeLuca right now if you are fighting marijuana charges in Highlands, New Jersey. You may also speak with a criminal defense attorney for a free consultation with a phone call to (732) 965-3350.
