{"id":443,"date":"2023-02-22T13:27:46","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T18:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/?page_id=443"},"modified":"2023-08-14T14:52:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T18:52:00","slug":"marijuana-possession","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/waterbury-criminal-lawyer\/misdemeanor-charges\/marijuana-possession\/","title":{"rendered":"Marijuana Possession"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Marijuana laws are changing throughout the country, with many states legalizing the use of recreational marijuana<\/a>. Connecticut residents can now possess and use up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis and store up to 5 ounces in a locked container. However, marijuana possession<\/a> of more than 1.5 ounces is still considered a crime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are charged with possessing marijuana, you could face strict penalties, including jail time, fines, and a lifelong criminal record. In some cases, innocent people are charged with marijuana possession. Perhaps someone else placed marijuana in your backpack, or you have been charged for possessing your roommate’s marijuana. Whatever the circumstances of your case, it is crucial that you speak to an aggressive criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Criminal Defense Attorneys are Ready to Fight for You<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need an attorney who will go to battle for you and provide you with the best legal defense possible. The Kaloidis Law Firm, LLC attorneys have decades of experience defending clients facing a wide range of drug charges, including marijuana possession. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know how the Connecticut court system works and have extensive experience negotiating with overzealous prosecutors. After we access your unique case, we will help you understand your legal options so you can make an informed decision about your legal defense strategy. We will aggressively negotiate for the best outcome possible in your case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possible Defenses to Possession of Marijuana Charges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kaloidis Law Firm, LLC, attorneys will review your case and determine the most effective defense strategy based on the facts and your unique case. You may be able to claim that your constitutional rights were violated because the law enforcement officers who arrested you engaged in an illegal search and seizure. You may be able to claim that the items were not drugs or that the police officers wrongly weighed the alleged drugs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other cases, defendants can argue that there was a break in the chain of custody from when law enforcement seized the drugs to when they introduced the drugs in court as evidence. Finally, you may be able to argue that the drugs belonged to someone else or that you had a justifiable reason for possessing them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Penalties for Possession of Marijuana in Connecticut<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since many other states have begun decriminalizing marijuana possession, many people assume that the penalties for this crime are not serious in states in which possession of marijuana is still illegal. Do not make that mistake. The penalties for marijuana possession can be significant, especially for those possessing at least four ounces of marijuana. The penalties become more serious as the amount of marijuana allegedly in the defendant’s possession increases. The penalties can also become more serious when aggravating factors are involved, such as possession of marijuana near a school.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possession of Fewer Than Four Ounces of Marijuana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this is a first-time offense, possession of more than five ounces will result in a civil infraction with a maximum fine of $500. If this si the second offense, it could result in a misdemeanor, exposing you up to three months in jail and a $2,000 fine. The penalties increase with subsequent offenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possession of Marijuana at or Near a School<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the penalties increase when a defendant is convicted of possessing marijuana at or near a school. Specifically, suppose the defendant was within 1500 feet of a licensed daycare center, Elementary, or secondary school and is convicted. In that case, the defendant could face mandatory jail sentences on top of the drug possession sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sale of at Least One Kilogram of Marijuana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suppose you are in possession of a larger quantity of marijuana. In that case, the prosecutor may decide to charge you with more serious crimes, such as the sale of at least 1 kilogram of marijuana. Drug distribution and trafficking charges carry much more severe penalties than possession charges. You could face 5 to 20 years in jail for a first-time offense and 10 to 25 years for a second offense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Penalties This Serious, You Need a Fearless Attorney Who Will Fight for You<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you have been charged with drug possession, your future is in jeopardy, and you need an aggressive defense attorney. Contact<\/a> The Kaloidis Law Firm, LLC today to schedule a case evaluation and learn more about how we can fight for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Protecting your rights in marijuana possession cases<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1740,"parent":475,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"law-type":[10],"blocksy_meta":"","featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335.jpg",1280,853,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335-1024x682.jpg",1024,682,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335.jpg",1280,853,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335.jpg",1280,853,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable":"

Protecting your rights in marijuana possession cases<\/p>\n","category_list":"","author_info":{"name":"Brendan Ruane","url":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/author\/brendan\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335.jpg",1280,853,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335-1024x682.jpg",1024,682,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335.jpg",1280,853,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pexels-yash-lucid-1466335.jpg",1280,853,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Brendan Ruane","author_link":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/author\/brendan\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Protecting your rights in marijuana possession cases","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/443"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2042,"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/443\/revisions\/2042"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"law-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaloidislaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/law-type?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}