Drug charges can have a significant and deleterious impact on the life of an accused individual. Criminal charges for drug possession or distribution can potentially rob the accused individual of their freedom and future which is why it is essential for accused individuals to be familiar with their criminal defense rights and options to fight the charges they are facing.
Any type of drug charges, including charges for marijuana possession or marijuana distribution, can result in serious penalties and consequences for the accused individual. To begin with, it creates a criminal record which can impact the accused individual’s ability to get a job, obtain housing, attend school or obtain a loan. Having a criminal record can also be taken into account if the accused individual ends up facing additional criminal charges at a later date. Accused individuals also face potential penalties including incarceration and fines.
Drug possession charges are serious but drug distribution charges can carry even more harsh penalties and consequences. Factors that may be considered when determining whether or not drug distribution charges will be charged include the quantity of marijuana the accused individual is alleged to be in possession of and if the accused individual is alleged to be in possession of equipment sometimes associated with drug distribution such as baggies, scales, large amounts of cash or other drug paraphernalia.
It is important to carefully evaluate the alleged evidence against the accused individual, such as the weight of the drugs and other aspects of the alleged evidence, as well as any police misconduct in the collection of evidence or other aspects of the arrest. Accused individuals must be familiar with how to develop a criminal defense strategy because of the serious nature of criminal charges and the penalties they carry.