Richmond Marijuana Possession Lawyer

When someone is dealing with base-level marijuana first offenses where there is not a large amount of the substance, then, most of the time in the City of Richmond on a simple possession, they are going to give someone every opportunity to have the matter dismissed either through community service or some substance abuse program. They are a lot more lenient on simple possessions of marijuana as opposed to one of the Schedule I or Schedule II drugs.

However if they have committed multiple offenses or they are in the realm of distribution, manufacturing, or possession with intent to distribute, then the case will be handled similarly to the others. Someone that has been charged with the possession of marijuana in Richmond should contact an experienced marijuana possession lawyer as soon as possible.

Impact of Decriminalization and Legalization of Marijuana

As some of the jurisdictions such as Richmond 1 and Richmond 2 have decriminalized or legalized marijuana it has left an impact on simple possessions. Individuals caught possessing small amounts of marijuana on a first offense are usually shown large amounts of leniency as opposed to individuals caught in other jurisdictions around the city.

Differences in Defending Marijuana Possession Cases

The main difference with marijuana as opposed to all of these other scheduled substances is that when someone is dealing with marijuana, field tests are evidence that can come in to prove that the substance is, in fact, that substance as opposed to a Schedule I, Schedule II, or a prescribed substance in which the item has to be sent to the lab and you need to have somebody from the Department of Forensic Science to come in and testify that the item was in fact what was found.

Judges Leniency in Marijuana Cases

Judges normally view marijuana charges with more leniency when it is an individual who does not have a record of any kind and has a small amount of marijuana on them. Someone’s criminal history and the amount are definitely going to help a judge see the case with more leniency than somebody who has a long history of drug use or a drug dealer and has a large amount or is charged when they are possessing or selling.

Long Term Implications

There are a lot of different long term implications of being convicted that can occur depending on the case. On a first offense possession of marijuana, someone is looking up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $500.00. On a second or subsequent offense of possession of marijuana, someone is going to be looking at up to a year in jail and a fine of $2,500.00 and the person is going to have their driver’s license suspended as well for up to six months. If convicted of marijuana, someone is looking at a large fine and a large jail sentence.

Changes

One thing that has changed is that there is currently legislation that gives the judge in a marijuana possession case the ability to refrain from suspending a person’s driver’s license.

Things to Know About Marijuana Possession Charges

First, a person should know that marijuana charges, while the culture in the United States of America is trending towards the ultimate decriminalization or legalization of marijuana, Virginia has not yet done so. It is taken seriously by police officers and they will charge and prosecute someone for marijuana possession. Secondly, marijuana possession or the smell of marijuana can also lead to probable cause to a search of someone’s car, their person, their home, and so they should not believe that just because there are some states that have changed their laws, they should not assume that they are going to be okay if they get pulled over or stopped or whatever the case may be for marijuana.

Contacting an Attorney

The Richmond courts are much more lenient on marijuana possession charges, if it is a small amount of marijuana, and it is the person’s first offense. However, if someone has been charged with this crime, it would be in their best interest to consult an experienced Richmond marijuana possession lawyer as soon as possible. If a marijuana charge goes from simple possession to possession with intent to distribute, there can be very severe punishments and consequences that follow.