North Carolina Marijuana Laws Details
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Like other states, North Carolina marijuana laws come down hard on the sellers, but first time possession users could catch a break depending on the amount they are caught with.
With regard to driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), North Carolina currently does not have a separate category for marijuana. It is deemed as a schedule 4 drug. The only DUID laws involved persons using class 1 controlled substance.
North Carolina has also enacted a tax stamp for marijuana convictions. This means you will have to pay an additional charge for a stamp to place on your pot. The charge is currently $3.50 per ounce.
North Carolina Marijuana Possession Penalties
Possession of less than one half ounce of marijuana is considered a misdemeanor in North Carolina. You could face up to 30 days in jail and pay a $200 fine. For first time offenders, this charge is usually suspended.
For possession up to one and half ounces of marijuana, you could be sentenced to 120 days in jail along with a $500 fine. If you are convicted of having more than one and half ounces of pot in your possession you will be charged with a felony and could spend up to 12 months in jail and pay a fine determined by the court.
For first time offenders, the North Carolina court also allows for conditional release or alternative sentencing. This usually includes some form of probationary period or drug counseling sessions.
North Carolina Marijuana Growing or Selling Penalties
If you are charged with growing or selling any amount of marijuana in North Carolina you will be facing a felony conviction. With 10 pounds or less you would be looking at up to 12 years in jail along with a $5,000 fine.
Once you cross over 10 pounds, the conviction for selling or growing attaches a mandatory sentence. Between 10 to 50 pounds the mandatory minimum will be 25 months in jail along with a $5,000 fine. For selling between 50 and 2,000 pounds of pot you will be going to jail for at least 35 months and paying a $25,000 fine.
With a conviction for selling any amount of marijuana between 2,000 and 10,000 pounds of pot comes with a mandatory sentence of 70 months in jail and a $55,000 fine. The top tier of punishment comes with a conviction of selling or growing over 10,000 pounds of pot. For that offense, you will be going to jail for at least 179 months and paying $200,000 in fines.
If any of those offenses occurred within 300 feet of school zone or involved the sale to a minor or a pregnant woman than the penalties can be increased at the discretion of the court.
North Carolina Marijuana Paraphernalia Penalties
In North Carolina, being convicted of possessing marijuana paraphernalia can mean a six month jail sentence and fine.
