{"id":3523,"date":"2017-10-17T15:03:41","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T15:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/?page_id=3523"},"modified":"2017-10-17T15:03:41","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T15:03:41","slug":"possession-of-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"seo_pages","link":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/service-areas\/fairfax-county-services\/possession-of-marijuana\/","title":{"rendered":"Possession of Marijuana in Fairfax County, VA"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #f49602;\">Possession of Marijuana in Fairfax County, VA<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Any drug arrest must be taken very seriously. Even a first-offense misdemeanor charge for possession of a small amount of marijuana could land you in jail, cost you your job, or severely limit your future prospects. But the law also recognizes that drug crimes often go hand-in-hand with addictions, and opportunities exist in some cases to undergo substance abuse screening and treatment in lieu of stricter penalties. We can help you determine if the circumstances of your case might qualify you for treatment and probation or a more lenient sentence, or if defenses exist to have your charge dismissed altogether. <\/p>\n<h3><strong>Marijuana Offenses in Fairfax County<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Pot possession is probably one of the most common types of drug crimes seen in Fairfax County courts. Virginia law has statutes that specifically address marijuana and synthetic marijuana separately from other drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamines, or ecstasy. Simple possession is a relatively serious misdemeanor, but pot trafficking can be a felony.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Possession of Marijuana: Virginia Code \u00a718.2-250.1 makes it illegal to possess any amount of marijuana, unless you have a valid prescription from a doctor. The statute defines a first offense as a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and\/or up to a $500 fine. A second or subsequent conviction is a Class 1 misdemeanor, which generally is punishable by up to a year in jail and\/or a maximum $2,500 fine.<\/li>\n<li>Sale, Distribution or Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Deliver: It\u2019s a crime in Virginia to sell, distribute, or possess with the intent to deliver any amount of marijuana under Virginia Code \u00a718.2-248.1. However, the amount of the drug involved in your case will determine whether a conviction is a misdemeanor or felony. At their most severe, penalties for the sale, distribution, or possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver the drug can include a sentence of life in prison and a $500,000 fine.<\/li>\n<li>Possession, Sale or Distribution of Synthetic Marijuana: It\u2019s also illegal in Virginia to possess synthetic cannabinoids, or to sell, give, distribute or possess with the intent to distribute synthetic marijuana. Simple possession is a misdemeanor, but it\u2019s a felony to sell, give, deliver, manufacture, or possess with the intent to deliver synthetic cannabinoids under Virginia Code \u00a718.2-248.1:1.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Penalties<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Simple Possession of Marijuana is an unclassified misdemeanor for the first offense and carries a jail sentence of up to thirty (30) days and up to a $500 fine. In addition, if convicted you will face up to 100 hours of community service. Previously, if you were convicted of possession of marijuana then your license would be automatically suspended for 6 months.\u00a0 Now, instead, the new law puts the decision to impose a license suspension solely with the Judge.\u00a0 The Judge may now consider the facts of the case and determine whether a license suspension is appropriate under the circumstances. If convicted of a second or subsequent offense it is considered a class 1 misdemeanor with up to one (1) year in jail, up to a $2500 fine and a license suspension of six (6) months.\u00a0A first offender may receive a deferred disposition and dismissal of the charge upon completion of probation and community service. But such defendants still lose their driver\u2019s licenses for six months. <\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<hr \/>\n<h5>Contact Raj Dua\u2014an Experienced Fairfax County Drug Possession Defense Attorney<\/h5>\n<p>If you\u2019re facing drug charges in Fairfax County, we can help explore all of your options to get the best possible result in your case.<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #f49602;\">Call Raj Dua at (703) 382-7300 or email <a style=\"color: #242424; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"mailto:rdua@dualawfirm.com\">rdua@dualawfirm.com<\/a> for a free consultation.<\/span><\/h5>\n<h3 class=\"text-regular\">We\u2019re Here To Help With Any Traffic, Divorce, Criminal or Estate Planning Matter.<\/span><\/h3>\n<h5 class=\"text-regular\"> We know how important it is to get an attorney on the case right away, so we are available via phone and e-mail 24\/7 and offer a free initial consultation. Please do not hesitate to contact us today.<\/span><\/h5>\n<h3 class=\"text-regular\"><\/h3>\n<h4>See What Our Clients Have to Say<\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p>I have never needed a lawyer before and did not know what to expect. Raj was able to answer all of my questions and explain to me what to expect and how he intended to help. He responded to e-mails promptly and was efficient and friendly throughout our interactions. He kept me up to speed with everything and was able to effectively execute his plan. I would definitely recommend him to anyone requiring representation and would work with him again if it was required.<\/p>\n<p>Raj did a phenomenal job with my reckless driving case&#8230; After doing my research, reading all the reviews, talking to couple of other lawyers, I decided to go with Raj. and I am so so so thankful I did. Not only he is professional and knows what he is doing, he is a very kind human being which I did not sense when talking to other lawyers. He works his best to get you the best outcome. He constantly assures you and calms you that it will be okay and keeps you posted throughout the process. Not to mention he is reasonably affordable compared to other lawyers who has half the experience Raj has, and he is reachable by cellphone, he also returns calls and emails in a swift manner, so you don&#8217;t have to talk to assistants and secretaries. Communication with him was very easy.<\/p>\n<p>Raj is a fantastic lawyer with excellent customer service skills (a rare mix for lawyers in my experience). He was very knowledgeable, personable, efficient, and professional. I was very at ease with my decision to retain his services. Throughout my time working with him, he was always courteous and was very efficient with his and my time. In the end, Raj achieved the result I wanted despite very difficult odds. I strongly recommend Raj\u2019s services!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":3434,"menu_order":0,"template":"","aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/seo_pages\/3523"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/seo_pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/seo_pages"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/seo_pages\/3523\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/seo_pages\/3434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}