| A Guide To Marijuana Penalties |
| This guide outlines most penalties for prohibited marijuana conduct in the 50 states, the District of Cloumbia, and under federal law. To view a complete list of marijuana penalties, see your state and federal laws, and discuss the laws with a criminal lawyer. This is just a vague guide, This is not legal advice so don't assume that if it is not on here then its ok to do. Marijuana laws and penltaies change rapidly and are enforced and interpreted differently even in the same legal jurisdiction. Do consult a criminal defense lawyer if you have been busted, or if you want to know how a perticualr conduct might be punished. |
| Please Note: |
| This Guide does not list penalties for every marijuana offense nor every enhanced sentence such as possessing marijuana near a school, involving a minor, and automatic driveers license suspension. Your state may require and enhanced sentence even if the enhacement is not in this list. Unless otherwise specified, please assume that listed penalties apply only to first convictions. Prior convictions often place a defendant in a higher penalty range. Except where indicated otherwise, a listed fine is the maximum fine for the conviction. The minimum is zero. "Possession" usually means "possession marijuana only for personal use." If the government accuses you of possesing marijuana for other reasons, the accompanying penalties will probably exceed those for personal use. Possessing large amount of marijuana frequently results in charges of "possession with the intent to distribute," "trafficing," and "sale." Many factors contribute to a defendany's sentence. factors include level of involvment in the prohibited conduct, lacation, age, presence or absence of minors, use of coomunications devices like telephones, conduct for which a person has been acquitted, and many other things. If you are in trouble please know Your Rights and hire an attorney. Warning the information contained in this report is for informational purposes only; individuals are encourage to confirm their state's laws before engaging in any perticualr behavior. |
| KEY C Conditional release: The state allows conditional release or alternative or diversion sentencing for people facing their first prosecutions. Usually, conditional realese lets a person opt for probation rather than trial. After succesfully completing probation, the individual's criminal record does not reflect the charge. D Decrimnalization. The state has decriminalized marijuana to some degree. Typically decriminalzation means no-prison time, or criminal record for first time possession of small amount for personal consumption. The conduct is treated like a minor traffic violation. MMS Mandatory Minimum Sentence. When someone is convicted of an offense punishable by a mandatory minimum sentece, the judge must sentence the defendant to the madatorey minimum sentence or to a higher sentence. The judge has no power to sentence the defendant to less time than the mandatory minimum. A prisoner serving a MMS for a federal offesne and for most state offenses will not be eligble for for parole. Even peaceful marijuana smokers sentenced to "life MMS" must serve a life sentence with no chance of parole. |