A marijuana charge in NJ can be a big problem if it is not handled properly. Do not leave room for the possibility of a conviction for pot possession or distribution. Although medical marijuana is allowed and can be used by certain individuals, the marijuana laws still apply to the majority of people in NJ. If you have been arrested for pot possession, your Monmouth Beach, New Jersey attorney can assist you through the legal process.
New Jersey considers marijuana a Schedule 1 Controlled Dangerous Substance. Fewer than 50 grams is a disorderly persons offense, but larger amounts may warrant felony charges.
Even if you have a comparatively insignificant amount of marijuana on your person, you may still be charged with intention to sell. Even if you weren’t taken into custody after selling marijuana, you can be charged with the intent to distribute, which is just as forbidding. Distribution and the intent to sell create much more intense penalties than possession. You need to build a strong legal strategy with an experienced Monmouth Beach, New Jersey marijuana law firm to make sure your charges don’t go beyond possession.
As a former municipal prosecutor and public defender, Carmine Villani, Esq. has unique experience for a marijuana criminal defense lawyer. Villani & DeLuca opened in 1996 and has been disputing pot allegations for clients ever since.
{Your pot charges hinge on how much marijuana you were in possession of, where your arrest happened and what police believe you were trying to do with the illegal drugs you had on you.|Marijuana charges may be serious or basically minimal depending on the geography of your arrest, the amount of marijuana and if the arresting officer and the prosecutor perceives your intent was (distribution or recreational use).
Possession of 50 grams or less of marijuana can present you with a prison term of up to 6 months and a $1,000 fine. In New Jersey, possession of more than 50 grams of marijuana may result in an 18-month jail sentence and a maximum fine of $25,000.
Marijuana distribution is a felony, but fines and punishments depend on many factors. For instance, a charge in the fourth degree (less than one ounce) can lead to a maximum fine of 10 grand and a jail sentence of up to 18 months, while charge of the first degree would have a maximum sentence of twenty years and a fine of up to $300,000.
Protected zones include schools, such as administrative buildings and school vehicles, as well as public parks. If you are convicted of marijuana distribution in one of these protected zones, your punishments might be increased according to New Jersey law. Enlist the assistance of a New Jersey criminal defense attorney if you were arrested and charged with marijuana possession or distribution in a Monmouth Beach protected zone.
Certain people are permitted to use medical marijuana in NJ. However, New Jersey does not recognize defendants who have been allowed to use medical marijuana by other state governments. To become approved for medicinal marijuana in NJ, you need to acquire a doctor’s validation of a serious disease like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer, muscular dystrophy, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease or a terminal illness if the doctor has determined a prognosis of less than a year of life.
To deal with your marijuana charges in Monmouth Beach, N, contact Villani & DeLuca criminal defense lawyers. You can also reach a Villani & DeLuca defense attorney at (732) 965-3350 for a free-of-charge legal consultation. Our New Jersey marijuana defense attorneys are here 24 hours a day, each day of the year.
