A marijuana charge in NJ can be a big issue if it is not handled correctly. New Jersey has strict pot laws and penalties for possession and distribution. Despite the permitted use of medical marijuana (under extremely specific and controlled situations), New Jersey will go after people arrested for using, selling and growing weed. You need a marijuana defense attorney serving Shrewsbury, NJ, if you have been charged for marijuana possession, distribution or the intent to distribute.
Marijuana is called a Controlled Dangerous Substance in NJ. The amount of marijuana you had on you will affect the penalties you may receive. If you have fewer than 50 grams of marijuana at the time of arrest, you could be charged with a disorderly persons offense. However, possession of a weight of marijuana more than 50 grams is filed as a felony.
If you are arrested in possession of marijuana (this can be fewer than 50 grams), charges often go beyond further than possession. Even if you were not arrested in the process of selling marijuana, you can get charged with the intent to distribute, which is just as forbidding. In many cases, the intent to distribute is a more severe charge than possession. A Shrewsbury criminal defense lawyer can help get your distribution allegations reduced to possession.
As a former municipal prosecutor and public defender, Carmine Villani, Esq. has uncommon experience for a marijuana criminal defense attorney. The law firm of Villani & DeLuca opened in 1996 to help people charged with crimes like marijuana possession.
{The seriousness of the accusations that may be brought against you in the state differ depending on the circumstances of your individual case, including the weight of the marijuana found on your person, where the arrest occurred and the intentions perceived by law enforcement and the prosecution.|Marijuana charges may be severe or relatively insignificant depending on the geography of your arrest, the weight of marijuana and what the arresting officer and the prosecutor perceives your intent was (intent to sell or personal use).
Marijuana possession in New Jersey of fewer than 50 grams can carry jail terms of as many as 6 months and fines that reach upwards $1,000. Possession of marijuana in amounts of greater than 50 grams is very serious and can produce a $25,000 fine and as much as a 1.5 year prison sentence.
All marijuana distribution allegations are felonies by law in New Jersey with a conviction, but the punishments coupled with these charges range in severity. For instance, a fourth degree charge (less than one ounce) can lead to a fine of up to $10,000 and a jail term of up to 18 months, while a first degree charge would have a maximum sentence of twenty years and a fine of up to $300,000.
A protected zone is school property like town-operated buildings and vehicles and public parks. A punishment is enhanced if the arrest took place in a protected zone in NJ. Ask a NJ defense lawyer to explain your rights and options if you have been charged with distribution of marijuana in a protected zone in Shrewsbury, NJ.
Medical marijuana is legal in New Jersey, but there are several conditions and regulations when considering the medical marijuana exemption. If you are permitted to use medical by another medicinal marijuana program, for example, which does not necessarily entitle you to medical marijuana use in NJ. While some states have extremely lenient medical marijuana policies, NJ does not. Medical marijuana is intended for more major health concerns and potentially life-threatening diseases.
Were you charged with marijuana possession or intent to sell in Shrewsbury, New Jersey? Villani & DeLuca can help. Contact our NJ marijuana criminal defense attorneys for a free consultation at (732) 965-3350.
