In our previous blog post, we discussed how you must be careful about marijuana usage in Maryland because only medical marijuana is legal in this state, and only for very limited uses. If you aren't able to possess marijuana for the legal reasons, you will likely face criminal charges if you are found to have some in your possession.
Having marijuana in your possession can bring up possession charges. These charges can lead to fines and even time in jail depending on how much marijuana you are said to have.
If you have up to 10 grams of marijuana, you will only face a fine. Amounts more than that have more serious penalties, such as up to a year in jail.
When it comes to possession charges, you have to carefully consider your defense. Even though these charges might seem small, they can still impact your life when it comes to things that require a background check.
Some of your possible defense options include claiming that the drugs didn't belong to you or that the substance wasn't actually what the police officer thought it was. Other options include calling the search and seizure into question or demanding that the prosecution produce the actual drugs that you were said to have possessed.
In some cases, it is possible that the drugs were planted or that entrapment occurred. Those are rather difficult to prove, but if that is what happened, working on that defense strategy is a possibility.
Your defense strategy should focus on the facts of the case. It must introduce some doubt about what the prosecution claims you did. It is crucial that you look at all of the facts in the case so that you have an idea of what you need to address.
Source: FindLaw, "Drug Possession Defenses," accessed Sep. 09, 2016