Marijuana Laws in New Jersey | What to know

New Jersey’s marijuana laws have been changing dramatically over the past few years. New Jerseyians voted to legalize weed, but it has been a slow process. Recently, Governor Murphy signed multiple New Jersey legal weed bills. These new bills are resulting in a lot of changes when it comes to marijuana charges. Read on to learn more about the previous charges and what laws will be introduced going forward.

Previously, What Were the Charges For Marijuana Possession?

In New Jersey, if you were charged with marijuana possession, you could face:

• 50 grams or less: This is a disorderly person penalty, for which you may spend up to 6 months in jail, as well as face a potential $1,000 fine.
• More than 50 grams: If you are caught with more than 50 grams of marijuana, you may spend up to 1.5 years in jail, and you may also face a potential $25,000 fine.

What Were the Charges For Selling Marijuana?

New Jersey courts take the illegal sale of any drug very seriously, and if you are someone who has been caught selling marijuana, you are looking at a wide array of potential penalties. Some of the consequences you could face for selling marijuana in NJ are as follows:

• Less than 1 ounce: You may go to jail for up to 1.5 years, and you may also have to pay a hefty $25,000 fine
• More than 1 ounce, but less than 5 pounds: This can warrant up to 5 years of jail time, on top of a potential $25,000 fine
• Between 5-25 pounds: You may spend up to 10 years in prison, and you may also have to pay a potential $150,000 fine.
• More than 25 pounds: For selling more than 25 pounds at a time, you face a potential 20-year prison sentence, as well as a maximum $300,000 fine
• Within 1,000 feet of a school or school bus: 5 years in jail and a potential $150,000 fine
• To a pregnant woman or a minor: Sentence doubling

New Weed Bills Have Been Signed- What Are the Changes?

According to NJ.com, “the decriminalization law allows people to possess up to six ounces of marijuana without legal consequence. But the new law on underage penalties for using marijuana also bars police from stopping young people if they smell marijuana, and allows them to only give out warnings to young people.”

This is all still very new. If you are facing a marijuana charge from before the new laws were signed, or you have any other questions or concerns, contact our firm to speak with a skilled criminal defense attorney.

Contact our Firm

The dedicated and compassionate attorneys at Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. would be happy to provide you with assistance in your case and help you protect your future when so much is on the line. Contact us today to schedule a consultation so we can assess the specific circumstances surrounding your lawsuit.