While many states in the United States are taking progressive measures related to the decriminalization of marijuana, Oklahoma hasn’t followed suit yet. If you are caught with marijuana in this state, you can face criminal charges. Here are some things to remember about these charges here.
Possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor on the first offense, but all subsequent offenses are felony charges. All charges for selling or trafficking this controlled substance are felonies. All offenses related to marijuana are governed by Oklahoma Statutes Title 63 §2-101.
If you are convicted of a first offense for possession, you are facing one year in prison or a fine of $10,000. Subsequent convictions have more severe penalties. On the second offense, you are looking at two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. If you are in possession on school grounds or around a child who is younger than 12, you face double penalties from the standard ones. If you are found in possession for a subsequent offense in one of those locations, penalties triple.
On the first conviction for selling, you face two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. After the first offense, you will face double penalties for any subsequence convictions. For trafficking, the fines are steep. You face anywhere from $25,000 to $500,000, depending on the weight of the marijuana you have.
The penalties you face should have a part in what defense strategy you choose. There is a chance that you might be able to get help from the Oklahoma Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services if an addiction is an underlying problem in your case.