Violating marijuana laws in NJ may result in substantial consequences depending on the scale of the charge. The state relies on strict drug laws to prosecute people for charges including the possession, distribution and growing of marijuana. If you have been charged with distribution or any other marijuana-related charges in the state of New Jersey, you should strengthen your case with the help of a qualified law firm serving Ocean Township. NJ criminal defense lawyers will fight to defend your rights and fight pot-related charges.
New Jersey classifies marijuana a Schedule 1 Controlled Dangerous Substance. If you have possession 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 comparatively tiny amount of pot in your possession, you can still get charged with intent to distribute. Even if you were not taken into custody after selling marijuana, you can be charged with the intention of selling marijuana, which is just as serious. Distribution and the intent to distribute allow much more intense penalties than possession. You should create a quality legal strategy with an experienced Ocean Township, NJ marijuana law firm to make sure your charges don’t exceed possession.
With experience fighting drug charges as a criminal defense attorney and defending drug charges as a former prosecutor, Carmine Villani, Esq. will help you with your marijuana possession or distribution offenses. The law firm of Villani & DeLuca began in 1996 to help people charged with crimes such as marijuana possession.
{Your marijuana charges depend on how much marijuana you had on you, where your arrest happened and what law enforcement believes you were attempting to do with the illegal drugs in your possession.|Marijuana charges may be severe or basically minimal depending on where the arrest occurred, the weight of marijuana and if the officer who arrested you and the prosecutor believes your intentions were (distribution or personal use).
Being found guilty of pot possession of fewer than fifty grams can give rise to penalties ofup to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. However, the punishment can be as many as 18 months in prison with a max fine of $25,000, when the amount of pot exceeds 50 grams.
Distribution is extremely serious charge in New Jersey. Distribution of just one ounce of weed or less will earn a max prison sentence of 18 months and a fine as expensive as $10,000 for a guilty plea. If you are ruled to be guilty of distribution or the intent to distribute in the first degree, your consequences can be as serious as a twenty-year jail term and a $300,000 fine.
Protected zones include school zones, such as school buildings and school vehicles, as well as public parks. If you are found guilty of selling marijuana in one of these protected zones, your sentences will be enhanced according to state law. Hire a New Jersey criminal defense attorney if you were arrested and charged with marijuana possession or distribution in a Ocean Township protected zone.
New Jersey does have a medical marijuana program, but it is extremely regulated in the sense that not many people qualify for it. Although you may be qualified for medical marijuana somewhere else in the United States, New Jersey’s medicinal marijuana program does not include many people. The medical marijuana laws of NJ tend to be more tough than similar medical marijuana programs around the country. Medical marijuana is reserved for more major health issues and potentially fatal diseases.
Were you charged with possession of marijuana or intent to sell in Ocean Township, New Jersey? Villani & DeLuca can assist. Contact our NJ marijuana criminal defense attorneys for a free consultation at (732) 965-3350.
