Ignoring marijuana laws in NJ can lead to substantial consequences depending on the severity of the crime. Possession and distribution penalties differ in harshness, but both kinds of pot charges necessitate the assistance of an attorney. Ensure you have a good defense by hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney in Holmdel, New Jersey. Make sure you know your rights and how to protect yourself against the state with the help of a NJ marijuana defense lawyer.
Marijuana is considered a Controlled Dangerous Substance in NJ. Charges like possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance are dictated by the amount of marijuana discovered at the time of arrest. If you have less than 50 grams of pot at the time of custody, you could be charged with a disorderly persons offense. However, possession of a weight of marijuana more than 50 grams charged as a more serious crime.
If you are arrested in owning marijuana (this can be a smaller amount than 50 grams), charges often go beyond beyond possession. The state will occasionally pursue charges for the intent to distribute, which is treated the same as being caught in the process of actually selling pot. Typically, the intent to distribute is a more serious charge than possession. A Holmdel criminal defense lawyer may fight to have your distribution allegations lessened to possession.
With experience fighting drug charges as a criminal defense lawyer and defending drug charges as a former prosecutor, Carmine Villani, Esq. will assist you with your marijuana possession or distribution offenses. Villani & DeLuca opened in 1996 and has been fighting pot allegations for clients ever since.
{The seriousness of the charges that can be brought against you in the state differ depending on the circumstances of your individual case, like the total marijuana found on your person, where the arrest occurred and the intentions perceived by law enforcement and the state.|Marijuana charges may be severe or basically minimal depending on where the arrest occurred, the weight of marijuana and what the arresting officer and the prosecutor perceives your intentions were (distribution or recreational use).
Your marijuana possession charges in New Jersey can landyou in prison for six months with a $1,000 fine, even if the amount of marijuana is less than 50 grams. In NJ, possession of 50+ grams of marijuana may result in an 18-month jail term and a maximum fine of $25,000.
Distribution is extremely serious crime in New Jersey. Selling less than one ounce of pot is a crime in the fourth degree and can generate penalties of a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail and fines up to $10,000. If you are determined to be guilty of distribution or the intent to distribute in the first degree, your consequences can be as steep as a twenty years in prison and a $300,000 fine.
An arrest in a protected zone upgrades a smaller penalty into an increasingly severe one. Protected zones are in or near schools as well as public parks. A school zone actually extends 1,000 feet from labeled buildings owned by the school district. It can be the middle of summer for a protected zone penalty to apply to your charges. Distributing drugs in or near a school is especially serious. But, you may still be able to fight your charges, with the help of a marijuana lawyer.
Some people are permitted to use medical marijuana in NJ. But, if you are from another state, do not assume that your medicinal marijuana card is accepted in NJ. Only severe health conditions or a terminal illness may validate a medical marijuana allowance in NJ.
Are you currently in a legal battle over marijuana possession or distribution in Holmdel, New Jersey? Villani & DeLuca can assist. Contact our NJ marijuana criminal defense lawyers for a free consultation at (732) 965-3350.
