Is It Legal to Smoke Marijuana on 4/20?
April 20th, commonly known as 4/20, is an annual “cannabis holiday” that pot smokers are eager to celebrate. While the origins of the holiday are unclear, people throughout the nation waste no time blazing up. Cities like San Francisco are known for having massive 4/20 gatherings and events, while other places host live music, food, seminars, and more. But on a smaller scale, pot users tend to host intimate gatherings with their friends and get high on 4/20.
However, recreational marijuana is ILLEGAL in Georgia. Although Georgia’s medical marijuana laws allow certain qualified patients to legally possess up to 20 ounces of low THC oil, qualifying medical conditions are typically severe or end-stage. They include, but are not limited to:
- Cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Mitochondrial disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Sickle cell disease
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Alzheimer’s disease
- AIDS
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Intractable pain
- PTSD
If you are not a qualified medical marijuana patient in Georgia, you may want to think twice before getting baked. As a historically conservative state when it comes to marijuana, Georgia’s incarceration rates for low-level possession offenses are significantly high. While some cities like Atlanta, Savannah, and Kingsland have decriminalized marijuana possession, the state of Georgia has yet to do so. Until then, make sure your 4/20 plans do not consist of marijuana. In other words, you’re better off NOT celebrating 4/20.
To put it bluntly, the drawbacks far outweigh the benefits. Currently, possessing 1 ounce or less of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to 1 year in jail. Possessing over 1 ounce of cannabis is a felony in Georgia. If convicted, you’re looking at 1 to 10 years in prison and a fine to be determined by a judge. Not to mention, your driver’s license may get suspended for the following periods:
- 6 months for a first-time offense
- 1 year for a second offense
- 2 years for a third or subsequent offense
Instead of jail, a judge may grant you conditional release or access to diversion programs if it’s your first offense. Conditional release requires you to satisfy certain conditions, such as participating in rehab or medical treatment, before getting your charges dropped from your record.
As you can see, the long-term consequences of marijuana use are far worse than the short-term high you feel from weed. However, we are well aware that people get into bad situations with the law all the time, whether it be by accident, by mistake, or by choice. Nonetheless, it’s our job to defend those people, and we are proud of it.
If you are facing drug charges in Hinesville, call Balbo & Gregg, Attorneys at Law, PC at (866) 580-3089 today!