What Are The Penalties For Marijuana Paraphernalia?

Marijuana is growing more popular throughout the United States as a medical and recreational drug. However, it is not legal for either of those purposes in Kansas.

As such, even if you’re using marijuana to treat a serious medical condition — like effects of cancer — police could arrest you and charge you with a crime. You can also face criminal allegations for possessing marijuana-related paraphernalia.

How serious is a marijuana paraphernalia charge?

Let’s say that you haven’t been smoking marijuana for weeks, but you have a marijuana pipe in your vehicle. A police officer pulls you over and, for some reason, has cause to perform a search of your car.

The officer didn’t find any drugs during the search, but he did find a used marijuana pipe. This discovery by the officer could result in a paraphernalia charge.

Here are the potential penalties you could face if the charge leads to a conviction:

• When the paraphernalia was used to store or ingest drugs it’s considered a class A, nonperson misdemeanor, punishable with up to 1 year in prison and a maximum fine of $2,500.
• When the paraphernalia was being sold to someone, it’s also a Class A nonperson misdemeanor, punishable with up to 1 year in prison and a maximum fine of $2,500.
• When the paraphernalia was used to grow marijuana, and it was under five plants, it’s also a Class A nonperson misdemeanor, punishable with up to 1 year in prison and a maximum fine of $2,500.
• When the paraphernalia was used to cultivate a large number of plants the offense becomes a severity level 5 penalty, which can be punished with fines of up to $100,000 and sentences of between 10 months of probation and 42 months of prison.
• When the paraphernalia was sold to a child — or the sale happened inside 1,000 feet of a school — the offense becomes a nonperson felony, which could be punished with up to 5 months of probation, 17 months in prison and fines of up to $500,000.

Were you accused of a marijuana crime?

Kansas residents should stay on top of current marijuana laws, especially if they have been accused of marijuana crimes. Understanding the law could help them navigate their criminal defense proceedings.