9781422288085

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WHAT ARE THE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF USING MARIJUANA?

Using marijuana is il- legal under U.S. federal law. However, some states have different

laws in place. Many states have decriminalized marijuana. This means that if you’re caught with marijuana and arrested, it’s considered a mis- demeanor . You’ll probably have to pay a fine, the way you would if you got a traffic ticket, but you won’t go to prison. However, in other states, possessing marijuana is still a more serious crime. Even in states that have decriminalized marijuana, if you’re caught with large amounts of marijuana, you can face serious legal consequences. And if you’re a repeat offender—in other words, if you’ve been caught more than once with marijuana—you can be arrested for a more serious crime.

Penalties for possessing marijuana may include: • a fine (typically up to $2000)

• drug awareness classes

• mandatory drug testing

• probation

• electronic monitoring

• jail time

(typically less than one year in jail)

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