Pasco County Marijuana Possession Lawyer

A small bag found during a traffic stop on US-19 or a search after a call to a Hudson address can turn a quiet evening into a criminal case. King Law Group is a criminal defense firm that represents adults and juveniles charged with drug crimes, including a Pasco County marijuana possession lawyer level of focus on cannabis cases, across Pasco County, Pinellas County and the greater Tampa Bay area.

Cannabis possession in Florida is not treated the way it is in states with full legalization. Possessing 20 grams or less of cannabis is a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. Possessing more than 20 grams moves the charge into felony territory, and the penalties climb from there. Medical marijuana is legal in Florida, but only for patients with a valid physician certification and a state-issued card, and only in the forms and quantities the program allows. That leaves a surprising number of people in Pasco County with a charge they did not expect, including patients whose paperwork was lapsed, left at home, or never issued.

Most cannabis cases begin with a search, and the search is usually where the case can be won or lost. The way an officer found the substance, what justified the stop, whether anyone consented, and whether the substance was ever properly tested all matter long before anyone talks about a plea. Understanding how these cases move through the Pasco courts helps you make better decisions in the first days after an arrest.

Why Choose King Law Group for a Pasco Cannabis Charge

King Law Group is a Tampa Bay criminal defense firm whose practice is focused solely on criminal defense. The firm is led by Cameron King, a former felony prosecutor for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, the circuit that covers Pasco and Pinellas Counties. As a prosecutor he handled thousands of cases, from murder, manslaughter and armed robbery to DUI, drug possession and domestic violence. He earned both his undergraduate business degree and his law degree at Florida State University and later practiced criminal defense at a prominent litigation firm before building a practice devoted to people in his own community.

That background matters in a marijuana case because the outcome so often depends on how a prosecutor evaluates the file. Cameron King has sat in the chair that decides whether a possession case is worth pursuing, which evidence carries weight, and what it takes for the State to agree to a reduction or dismissal. The firm represents clients across West Pasco, from New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson, Bayonet Point, Holiday and Trinity to Elfers, Jasmine Estates, Beacon Square and Dade City, and across Pinellas County as well.

Clients describe the firm as honest, straightforward and quick to return calls, and several say they were kept informed and had every step explained to them. One client wrote that the charges were ultimately dropped. The firm answers its phone around the clock, offers a free consultation and a complimentary case evaluation, and handles a case from pre-arrest investigation through trial and, when you qualify, record sealing. The goal is not always an acquittal. Sometimes the right result is a reduced charge, a withheld adjudication, or a diversion program that ends in dismissal, and the firm looks for whichever one fits what matters most to you, whether that is your job, your license or your family.

Marijuana Charges We Defend in Pasco County

• Simple Possession of 20 Grams or Less: A first-degree misdemeanor under section 893.13(6)(b), punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. These cases usually start with a traffic stop, a consent search, or an odor-based search of a vehicle, and they are heard in Pasco County Court.
• Possession of More Than 20 Grams: A felony under Florida law, with penalties set by the degree of the offense. A felony conviction brings consequences a misdemeanor does not, including lasting effects on employment, firearm rights and housing.
• Delivery Without Payment: Handing 20 grams or less of cannabis to someone without receiving anything in return is a first-degree misdemeanor. Sharing with a friend at a party can technically fall into this category, though it is far less serious than a sale.
• Medical Marijuana Card Disputes: Possession is unlawful unless the substance was lawfully obtained under a valid order or prescription. Patients with an expired certification, a card left at home, or product outside the program’s rules can still be arrested and charged.
• Possession in a Vehicle: Many Pasco cases come from stops by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol or city police on roads like US-19, State Road 54 and State Road 52. The legality of the stop and the search is often the strongest defense issue.
• Possession With Paraphernalia: Pipes, grinders and similar items are often charged alongside the cannabis itself and can add to the case a prosecutor builds, even when the underlying amount is small.
• Juvenile Cannabis Cases: Teenagers cited for possession at school or in a car face a separate juvenile process in Pasco Circuit Court, where diversion and treatment-oriented outcomes are often on the table.
• Probation Violations From a Positive Test: A drug screen showing cannabis can trigger a violation on an existing case, even where the use would otherwise have gone unnoticed.

What to Do After a Marijuana Arrest or Citation in Pasco County

The first thing to do is stop talking about the case. Officers frequently ask casual questions during or after a stop, such as whose it is, how long you have had it, or whether there is more in the car. Those answers can establish possession, which is the core of the State’s case, and they cannot be taken back. You are entitled to decline to answer and to ask for a lawyer. You are also entitled to refuse consent to a search, and saying so clearly, without physical resistance, preserves a challenge that may matter later.

If you were arrested, you were most likely booked into the Pasco jail in Land O’ Lakes and will see a judge at first appearance, typically within about 24 hours. At that hearing the court reviews probable cause and sets conditions of release. For a misdemeanor cannabis charge, release is often straightforward, but conditions can include no-contact or drug-testing terms that become traps later. Having a lawyer involved early can help on release conditions and keeps you from stumbling into a new violation.

After release, write down everything you remember while it is fresh: why you were stopped, how long the stop lasted, what the officer said before searching, whether a drug dog was used, who else was in the vehicle, and whether anyone asked permission. Keep any medical marijuana certification, card, receipts from a dispensary and the original packaging, because lawful acquisition is a real defense. Do not delete texts or photos, and do not discuss the case on social media.

Misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases in Pasco are handled in the county court, and felony and juvenile cases in the circuit court. Hearings take place at the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey or the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City, depending on where the arrest happened. Your first court date will be an arraignment, and missing it can bring a warrant and a new problem on top of the original charge. Watch the deadlines as well: for a first-degree misdemeanor, the State generally must begin prosecution within two years, and for most felonies within three years, though that clock can be tolled in limited circumstances.

How a Pasco Marijuana Possession Case Typically Unfolds

After arraignment, the defense requests the State’s evidence, which in a cannabis case usually includes the arrest report, body camera or dash camera video, any lab analysis, and statements attributed to you. This is where cases start to separate. A video that shows an officer searching before developing a lawful basis, or a report that says the odor justified a search when the timeline does not support it, can lead to a motion to suppress. If the search is thrown out, the State often has nothing left to prosecute.

Weight and identity of the substance matter too. The line between a misdemeanor and a felony is 20 grams, and an officer’s field estimate or a packaging weight that includes the container is not the same as a proper net weight. Where a case rests on the State proving the substance is cannabis under current law, the quality of that proof deserves scrutiny. Possession itself can also be contested, particularly when drugs were found in a shared car, a shared home, or a bag that belonged to someone else, because the State must show knowledge and control, not just proximity.

Many first-time cannabis cases resolve without a conviction on the record. Prosecutors and judges in the Sixth Circuit see pretrial diversion, deferred prosecution and withheld adjudication as realistic outcomes for people with no serious history. The terms usually involve a short period of conditions, perhaps drug testing, classes or community service, and the charge is dismissed if you complete them. A withheld adjudication can still count as a conviction for some purposes, such as how a sentence is classified, so the form of the resolution deserves as much attention as whether you avoid jail. Trial remains an option when the evidence is weak or the search was unlawful, and the decision to try the case is always yours.

Weigh the collateral costs before agreeing to anything. A drug conviction can suspend a driver’s license under Florida law, affect professional licenses and certain jobs, complicate student financial aid, and create serious problems for non-citizens, including lawful permanent residents. Where an arrest ends without a guilty adjudication, Florida’s sealing and expungement rules may later allow you to clear the record, but you can seal or expunge only one arrest record, and you must first obtain a certificate of eligibility from FDLE. Protecting that eligibility is one reason the form of the resolution matters so much.

Marijuana Possession Questions Answered

Is marijuana legal in Florida?

Medical use is legal for qualified patients with a physician certification and a state-issued card, but recreational possession is not. Possessing 20 grams or less without lawful authority is a first-degree misdemeanor, and more than 20 grams is a felony.

What is the penalty for possessing 20 grams or less of cannabis in Pasco County?

It is a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. In practice, many first-time cases end in diversion, probation or a reduction rather than jail, but the exposure is real and a conviction creates a permanent record.

When does possession become a felony?

Possessing more than 20 grams is charged as a felony. The weight is therefore one of the most important facts in the case, and it is worth checking how it was measured and whether packaging was included.

Can police search my car because they smell marijuana?

Officers often claim odor as the basis for a search. How that claim holds up is a frequent subject of motions to suppress, particularly now that hemp and medical cannabis are lawful in Florida and smell alone does not always distinguish between legal and illegal material. The specific facts of the stop control the outcome.

I have a medical marijuana card. Can I still be charged?

Yes. A valid card and lawfully obtained product are a defense, but officers may arrest first, especially if the card is expired, not with you, or the product is outside the program’s limits. Keep your certification and dispensary receipts and give them to your lawyer.

Will I go to jail for a first marijuana possession charge?

Jail on a first misdemeanor cannabis case is not the usual result, but it is legally possible. A lawyer can often steer the case toward diversion, a withheld adjudication or dismissal, which avoids both jail and a conviction.

Can a marijuana charge affect my driver’s license?

A drug conviction can lead to license consequences under Florida law, and a separate DUI charge can arise if an officer believes you were impaired while driving. Raise any license concern with your lawyer before accepting a plea.

What if the marijuana was in a car with several people?

The State has to prove that you knew about the substance and had control over it. When drugs are found in a shared space and no one admits ownership, that proof can be difficult, which is why saying nothing to the officer matters.

Does a marijuana arrest hurt my immigration status?

It can. Drug offenses are among the convictions that can lead to removal, even for lawful permanent residents, and some outcomes that avoid a conviction in state court may still be treated as a conviction for immigration purposes. Tell your lawyer your status immediately so any plea can be evaluated with that in mind.

How long does a Pasco County misdemeanor marijuana case take?

Timelines vary with the judge, the evidence and whether a motion to suppress is filed. Simple cases that resolve through diversion can wrap up in a matter of months, while contested cases with suppression hearings or a trial take longer.

Can I clear a marijuana arrest from my record afterward?

Possibly. If the charge was dismissed or you were acquitted, expungement may be available, and if adjudication was withheld, sealing may be. You can only seal or expunge one arrest record, and you must first get a certificate of eligibility from FDLE, so it matters how the first case ends.

Do I need a lawyer for a small amount of marijuana?

Even a misdemeanor can mean jail exposure, probation, a fine and a permanent record. A lawyer can often find an outcome, like diversion or a withheld adjudication, that people representing themselves miss.

Serving Marijuana Possession Clients Across Pasco County and Tampa Bay

King Law Group defends cannabis cases throughout Pasco County, from the western communities along the Gulf to the inland towns. We regularly represent clients arrested in New Port Richey and Port Richey, in Hudson and Bayonet Point to the north, and in Holiday and Trinity to the south. We also serve people in Elfers, Jasmine Estates and Beacon Square, as well as Dade City on the eastern side of the county, where the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center hears cases from that part of Pasco.

Because Pasco and Pinellas share the Sixth Judicial Circuit, the firm also represents clients across the county line in Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and St. Petersburg, and throughout the Tampa Bay area. Whether the arrest came from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, a municipal police department or the Florida Highway Patrol, the same careful look at the stop, the search and the evidence applies.

Speak With a Pasco County Marijuana Possession Attorney

A marijuana charge may look small, but the decisions you make in the first few days can shape whether it ends in dismissal, diversion or a permanent record. If you were arrested or cited, King Law Group will review what happened, explain the charge and the realistic range of outcomes, and tell you plainly what a Pasco County marijuana possession attorney can do for your situation. Call any time, day or night, to schedule your free consultation and complimentary case evaluation, and get a defense started before the State has finished building its case.