Marijuana Bail Bonds
Marijuana Bail Bonds
Some states have now legalized marijuana for personal use. In the state of Connecticut, marijuana has been decriminalized but there are still many laws governing it. Decriminalization of marijuana means that there will be no jail or prison time for first time possession offenders. The charge will not go on your record if you are caught by the police with a small enough amount to be deemed as your personal use amount. There are laws so we can all know what is allowed and what is not allowed pertaining to the selling and possession of marijuana.
Since 2011, possession of a half-ounce or less of marijuana has been considered a civil violation in the state of Connecticut. It is punishable by a fine of up to $150 and there is no jail time. Repeat offenses of the same charge are subject to an increase in fines ranging from $200 to $500. When you get your third violation, you are referred to one of the drug awareness programs. In addition to the fines, anyone under the age of twenty-one (21) who is found in possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana will face a sixty (60) day suspension of his or her driver’s license.
On June 22, 2021, Governor Edward Lamont signed S.B. 1201, “An Act Concerning the Equitable and Responsible Regulation of Cannabis” into law. This notion concluded the many years it took to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis (marijuana) in the Constitution State. Under this bill, starting July 1, adults twenty-one (21) years of age and over will be allowed to possess up to one and a half ounces on them and up to five ounces in a locked trunk or a secure location in their home which started on July 1, 2021. The state of Connecticut could see legal sales of marijuana beginning as soon as May 2022. Adults over the age of twenty-one (21) will be allowed to securely grow and harvest cannabis (marijuana) at their own homes starting on July 1, 2023. Up to 75% of the revenue from marijuana sales will be dedicated towards equity efforts and community re-investments. In addition to the legalizing of cannabis (marijuana), S.B. 1201 does include the expungements of low-level cannabis (marijuana) records and will dedicate the bulk of tax revenue into a Social Equity and Innovation Fund. This fund will be used to promote a diverse cannabis (marijuana) industry and reinvest back into hard-hit communities. Half of new cannabis business licenses will be issued to applicants who will be eligible to receive technical assistance, start-up funding, assistance from an accelerator program, and also workforce training.
The bill also limits the actions that employers, hospitals, and others may take against those who test positive for past cannabis (marijuana) use. It also provides protections for parents and tenants who use cannabis (marijuana) in compliance with the law. The bill states that the odor of marijuana alone cannot be used as probable cause for police to search an individual. It also prohibits jail time as a penalty for those under the age of twenty-one (21) who are caught in possession of marijuana. Young adults, those who are age eighteen (18) to twenty (20), will face civil penalties for marijuana possession still. The use of cannabis (marijuana) in public still will get you into trouble. If you possess more than 1.5 ounces of marijuana, you can be punished by getting a prison term of up to one (1) year and a fine not to exceed $2,000. For individuals who get their second offense, the court will do an evaluation and will decide if you are drug dependent. If the court finds you dependent on the drug, they might suspend prosecuting you and order you to complete a drug abuse treatment program instead. Upon successful completion of the program, all of your charges could get dropped and not go on you record. For a subsequent offense, the court may sentence you as a persistent or repeat offender for possession of a controlled substance. You will then end up going to jail for a time frame set by the judge based on the crime circumstances. If you are caught with marijuana within 1,500 feet of a school or a daycare center then you will receive an additional term of imprisonment for three (3) years plus probation with a community service requirement plus fees and fines. If you, a friend or a loved one has been granted a bail bond by the judge, call Atomic Bail Bonds now. Our number is (860) 982-4661. We are a professional and courteous Atomic Bail Bonds bail bond agency that will not judge you because you made a mistake. We want to help you. Do not wait any longer. We will help you get back home to your family and loved ones.
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Cultivation is another crime you could get in trouble for in the state of Connecticut. Growing your own marijuana is still illegal as of right now. Home cultivation will not be against the law after July 1, 2023. After that date, you will be able to grow six (6) to twelve (12) plants per household. Unless you are a registered medical marijuana patient, you cannot grow your own marijuana. If you get caught for cultivation in the state of Connecticut before July 1, 2023, and you are growing up to three (3) mature and three (3) immature plants, you can be charged as follows:
- 1) First offense will receive a written warning.
- 2) Second offense will be fined no more than five hundred dollars ($500).
- 3) For any subsequent offense you will be found guilty of a class D misdemeanor.
Distribution of marijuana is another charge you could face in the state of Connecticut. For first time offenders of distribution of less than one (1) kilogram of marijuana will be punished by a fine of up to $25,000 and up to seven (7) years in prison. Any subsequent offenses can be punished by a fine of up to $100,00 and up to fifteen (15) years in prison. The court could sentence you to an alternative sentence of up to three (3) years in prison instead. You may get released at any time during those three (3) years and then placed on probation for the remainder of your term. For first time offenders who get charged with distribution of one (1) kilogram or more of marijuana can get punished by five (5) to twenty (20) years in prison. Any offenses after that are punishable by up ten (10) to twenty-five (25) years in prison. The court cannot reduce a sentence below the minimum years of prison time required by the statute set in the state of Connecticut. This means that first offenders face a minimum of five (5) years in prison and subsequent offenders face a minimum of ten (10) years in prison. The court may make exceptions to these mandatory minimum sentences if the defendant is under the age of eighteen (18) or is or was mentally impaired.
As you can see, the laws that have to do with marijuana can be a little tricky to navigate. The state of Connecticut seems to be heading in the direction to make it not so criminal anymore. Nonetheless, if you made a mistake and got charged with a crime involving marijuana, contact Atomic Bail Bonds
now. Our number is (860) 982-4661. We are a professional and courteous bail bond agency that will not judge you because you made a mistake. We want to help you. Do not wait any longer. We will help you get back home to your family and loved ones. It does not matter what crime you committed involving marijuana. We want to help you. Call us immediately so we can start the paperwork to get you home.
