Marijuana Charges Lawyer St. Louis, MO. Despite a growing number of states, most notably neighboring Illinois, legalizing marijuana for adult use, the state of Missouri has not quite caught this wave yet. While Missouri has legalized medicinal cannabis, it still remains illegal for non-medical use, and if you are caught with marijuana and do not have a valid medical card, you could be facing serious fines or jail time depending on the amount that was in your possession.
Combs Law Group has helped many people across the St. Louis area who have been charged with possession of marijuana. Our firm works aggressively to fight these charges, and understands the changing landscape regarding cannabis and its acceptance by the general public. We invite you to call us today at (314) 900-HELP if you have recently been charged with possession of marijuana to schedule a free consultation.
Marijuana Law Changes in St. Louis
While as mentioned before the state of Missouri still considers cannabis to be an illegal drug, in the past few years there has been a sea-change in how St. Louis authorities prosecute cannabis possession. In 2013, the city of St. Louis passed Ordinance 69429, which decriminalized possession of marijuana under 35 grams, or slightly more than an ounce. It is now treated as an infraction, not unlike a traffic ticket, and has fines that range from $100 to $300.
More recently, three major electoral results in St. Louis and Missouri have continued this momentum. St. Louis City and St. Louis County have both elected reform-minded prosecuting attorneys–Kim Gardner was voted St. Louis City prosecutor in 2016, with Wesley Bell following her into office in the County two years later. They have both instructed their staff to not prosecute any marijuana possession cases where the person was caught with 100 grams (slightly more than three ounces) or less of cannabis. Also in 2018, Missouri voters approved Amendment 2, which legalizes cannabis for medicinal use, by a 65%-34% margin. Multiple advocacy organizations and even some politicians have since spoken out that this signals a broad desire to further legalize marijuana for adult use in the near future.
The Importance of Working With a Reputable St. Louis, Missouri Marijuana Charges Attorney
Though opinions on cannabis are changing at all levels in Missouri, there are still many legal pitfalls you may be facing if you are arrested and charged with marijuana possession. The aforementioned prosecution directives do have their limits. The County prosecution order only applies to county-level cases, and individual municipalities still have the ability to enforce their own marijuana ordinances in city-level courts. In addition, they only apply to cases where marijuana possession was the only drug-related infraction on the charge sheet: if it was determined that you had the intention of selling cannabis, or it was in conjunction with other scheduled substances, they will still prosecute your marijuana charges. And if you live in or regularly visit St. Charles or Jefferson counties, you should keep in mind that they have not decriminalized cannabis, and thus you could be prosecuted for possessing any amount of marijuana.
With this hodgepodge of new and occasionally conflicting legal situations, having an experienced St. Louis marijuana possession lawyer on your side if you are ever charged with marijuana possession. Combs Law Group has years of experience helping their cannabis possession clients and minimizing the effect marijuana possession charges have on their lives. Contact us today by calling (314) 900-HELP or filling out our online contact form.