Law enforcement officials say that they’ve broken up a large marijuana grow operation in the Port Saint Lucie area. Police say the Port Saint Lucie grow house was a sophisticated operation with dozens of plants and a large quantity of marijuana that was packaged for sale. Officials say that they found a handgun and a large amount of cash on the scene.
Officials arrested a 66-year-old man. He faces multiple charges. The charges relate to growing marijuana and selling it. The man also faces charges of stealing electricity for the grow operation.
Marijuana laws vary by state, and they can change quickly. You may find out the hard way that your Port Saint Lucie grow house may be illegal under Florida law. Fortunately, if you’re facing a marijuana criminal charge, there are defenses that may be available to you. If it’s not clear who owns the marijuana or if the police searched your home or vehicle in violation of your constitutional rights, you may have viable defenses to the charges against you. It’s up to the state to prove the charges against you, and you have the right to your day in court.
Although Florida has medical marijuana laws, growing and selling marijuana is still strictly controlled in the sunshine state. Lawmakers and the medical community continue to debate what the requirements should be for qualifying for medical marijuana. Voters overwhelmingly support the availability of marijuana for certain medical patients.
Even though it’s legal to use marijuana in some circumstances, when a grow house operates in violation of those rules, the offenders can still face strict penalties as a drug operation. These penalties can include jail time and even prison time. There are also large fines in most cases, and law enforcement destroys the plants that they find. However, all offenders are innocent until proven guilty, and a Port Saint Lucie criminal attorney can help you address any charges against you.
If you’re facing marijuana charges of any kind, a marijuana grow house criminal lawyer can help you minimize the damage. In addition to facing criminal charges, law enforcement may try to take your assets. They may try to take your car or your house under the guise that you’ve used it to grow or sell marijuana. Your Port Saint Lucie marijuana attorney can help you fight back. If you or someone you know have been in a similar legal situation contact Jonathan Jay Kirschner, Esq., & Associates, LLC at (772) 489-8501.
