Marijuana Trafficking

Usually, a drug trafficking offense specifically involves the sale of a controlled substance such as marijuana, particularly over state lines or between countries. The Florida Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, however, also claims it is a drug trafficking offense to have 25 pounds or more of marijuana in your possession, even if it is for personal use. Drug trafficking is a felony offense in Florida not to be taken lightly; hiring an experienced Pinellas County marijuana crime lawyer could increase your chances of a favorable outcome in your trafficking of cannabis case.

St. Petersburg Marijuana Trafficking Defense Lawyer

A felony conviction of Florida marijuana trafficking will affect you for the rest of your life. Melinda Morris of Morris Law Firm, P.A. is a knowledgeable St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney with experience from both sides of the courtroom, enabling her to identify specific prosecuting strategies and expose their weaknesses. If you have been arrested and charged with marijuana trafficking in Pinellas County, Manatee County, Pasco County, Hillsborough County, or Sarasota County, contact Morris Law Firm, P.A. today.

Melinda Morris will use her extensive criminal prosecution and defense knowledge and experience to fight to protect your future and your freedom. Your first consultation concerning your marijuana trafficking offense is free, so call Morris Law Firm, P.A. at (727) 592-5885 to schedule yours today.

Important Definitions Regarding Florida Marijuana Trafficking

Cannabis – All parts of any plant of the genus Cannabis, whether or not it is growing. This includes the seeds, resin extracted from any part of the plant, and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, seeds, or resin. Also known as pot, marijuana, ganja, weed, chronic, bud, hydro, and reefer.

Cannabis plant – Includes, but is not limited to, the whole plant harvested or growing and the seedlings, cuttings, and other parts that can be perceived as a plant by the readily observable evidence of root formation such as root hairs.

Deliver – The actual, constructive, or attempted transfer of a controlled substance from one person to another, with or without an agency relationship

Manufacture – The direct or indirect production, preparation, propagation, compound, cultivation, growing, conversion, or processing of a controlled substance by extraction from natural substances, means of chemical synthesis, or a combination of extraction and synthesis – including any packaging, labeling, or relabeling of the substance and/or its container.

Possession – Having actual, physical control of the substance such as in your hands, pockets, or purse (actual possession), or the ability to take actual possession of the controlled substance with the knowledge that the substance is illegal and the intent to actually possess it (constructive possession).

Sell – The delivery or transfer of a controlled substance from one person to another in exchange for currency or something else of value

Marijuana Trafficking in Florida Defined

What constitutes marijuana trafficking as an offense in the state of Florida is stated in Fla. Stat. §893.135. According to this statute, it is illegal to knowingly sell, purchase, manufacture, deliver, bring into the state, or be in actual or constructive possession if cannabis in excess of 25 pounds or 300 plants. Marijuana trafficking by this definition is a first-degree felony, though penalties will vary according to the amount of marijuana found, the existence of prior offenses, and if serious bodily injury or death occurred in the commission of the offense.

Trafficking in marijuana can also be a federal offense under 21 U.S.C. 807 if there is intent to sell cannabis across Florida borders, throughout Florida, or from a foreign country into Florida. Federal penalties also vary on the amount of the Schedule I substance marijuana, prior convictions, and if injury or death were involved. Whether you face federal penalties or Florida penalties for your trafficking in marijuana offense, an experienced marijuana crime defense lawyer in Pinellas County can fight to reduce or dismiss the charges against you.

Penalties for Florida Trafficking in Marijuana

When it comes to the penalties for trafficking in cannabis in Florida, the amount matters just as much as the presence of intent or proof of sale or delivery. All Florida first offenses of marijuana trafficking are first-degree felonies, but the amount or number or plants present defines the involved mandatory minimum penalties, which are as follows:

• For 25-1,999 pounds of marijuana or 300-1,999 cannabis plants, three years of prison and a $25,000 fine
• For 2,000-9,999 pounds of pot or 2,000-9,999 marijuana plants, seven years of prison and a $50,000 fine
• For 10,000 pounds of weed or 10,000 cannabis plants or more, 15 years of prison and a $200,000 fine

A conviction for trafficking in cannabis also comes with other sanctions, such as ineligibility for certain employment and educational opportunities, a two-year driver’s license suspension, a revocation of your right to own a firearm, a three-year ban from public housing, and a five-year ban from fostering or adopting children. Additionally, there is the social stigma of being a felon to contend with in your everyday life. An experienced criminal defense lawyer with knowledge in felony St. Petersburg marijuana offenses such as trafficking may be your best chance at a favorable outcome in your marijuana trafficking case.

Morris Law Firm, P.A. | Trafficking in Marijuana Defense Attorney for Pinellas County

If you have been charged with trafficking in marijuana in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Pinellas Park, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo, High Point, Seminole, Belleair, or Bradenton, contact Morris Law Firm, P.A. today. Melinda Morris will fight against your trafficking charge, whether state or federal, and work to protect your rights and your freedom. Call (727) 592-5885 today to schedule your free consultation concerning your Florida marijuana trafficking charge.