The State of Florida is slowly moving in the direction of legalizing cannabis.
But that hasn’t happened yet. Although medical marijuana is now
legal, many restrictions apply to medical cannabis and who can possess it.
Unfortunately, at my criminal defense firm, we still see a lot of possession
cannabis under 20 grams cases. The calls to our firm range from concerned
parents to young successful college students who never expected to get
caught. It is also common scenario for someone to be driving a friend’s
or relative’s car, and end up with a possession of cannabis arrest
or a notice to appear, when they get stopped for something simple like speeding.
It is important to remember that possession of cannabis (Florida Statute
893.13) just like possession of drug paraphernalia (Florida Statute 893.145),
is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and
up to $1000 fine. For first-time offenders, it is very unlikely to be
facing jail time, but what’s important about these cases is that
entering a plea to a criminal offense and even getting a withhold (no
conviction) still means you have a criminal record.
Possession of cannabis under 20 grams is not a crime of the century, that’s
what I always tell the parents who call. It could be worse. But what do
you need to know is that you should never enter a plea in any case, even
a minor one, without discussing it with a criminal defense lawyer and
fully understanding your options and defenses.
Every case of possession of cannabis under 20 grams is different. The
traffic stop may be bad. The search maybe unlawful. All of the defenses
need to be explored and the case should always be worked out to the minimal
possible consequences. The best case scenario is to get it dropped. So
you or your child never enter a plea to a criminal offense.
I represent a lot of college students on these cases. Most of these students
who get a possession of cannabis arrest or possession of cannabis notice
to appear have a very bright future. A very simple mistake can ruin their
chances in an already very competitive job market.