A growing number of states have enacted medical marijuana laws, and a few appear to be close to legalizing possession of marijuana even for recreational use.  However, Pennsylvania has been slow to follow suit.  While Pennsylvania legislators are currently considering a medical marijuana bill, even possession of marijuana for legitimate medicinal purposes can expose you to very serious penalties that may have a significant impact on your life.  A conviction even for possession of a small amount of marijuana may result in jail time, substantial fines and suspension of your driver’s license.  The penalties and attendant consequences of even a simple possession charge are potentially too severe not to fight.  If you have been charged with a criminal offense based on marijuana possession, our experienced Pittsburgh drug defense attorneys will carefully analyze the facts and circumstances of your case so that we can provide the best possible defense.

Drug penalties in Pennsylvania, even a drug like marijuana, can carry significant mandatory minimum penalties. The penalties in Pennsylvania for marijuana possession include:

ñ  Misdemeanor charges of up to 30 days in jail and up to a $500 fine for possession of 30 grams or less.

ñ  Misdemeanor charges of up to 1 year in jail and up to $5,000 in fines for possession of more than 30 grams. (First Offense).

ñ  Misdemeanor charges of up to 3 years in prison and up to $25,000 for possession of more than 30 grams. (Second Offense).

ñ  With any amount of possession, you may receive a six (6) month driver’s license suspension.

An extended license suspension can limit your freedom and result in the loss of your job, home and even your family because of the enormous financial pressure.  Our experienced Pittsburgh criminal defense attorneys understand the serious long-term consequences that can result from a Marijuana possession charge so we leave no stone unturned in developing a sound defense strategy designed to obtain an acquittal or dismissal of charges.  Where the facts of your case make this impossible, we aggressively negotiate with the prosecutor for a favorable plea agreement intended to result in the minimum possible disruption of your life.

The prosecutor must prove certain elements (facts) beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain a conviction for possession of marijuana:

ñ  You knowingly and intentionally possessed marijuana

ñ  You actually had control of the marijuana

ñ  You knew it was an illegal drug (i.e. marijuana)

Every case is different so we carefully investigate and analyze the facts of your particular case, which allows us to determine the most effective defense strategy.  Some common defenses that we use include:

ñ  Disputing that you had control of the marijuana.

ñ  Arguing for suppression of the evidence (marijuana) based on a lack of sufficient legal basis for the search or other procedural issues in executing the search.

ñ  Challenging whether you knew that the substance was marijuana (i.e. lack of awareness of the contents of a package).

ñ  Mitigating factors that may lead to a reduction of charges.

While we always explore every possible defense strategy for preventing a marijuana possession conviction, we will also explore potential plea agreements which may get you probation instead of jail time.  Our experienced Pittsburgh marijuana possession attorney will diligently defend your freedom, driving privileges and your financial future.