Sending marijuana through the mail is illegal, the us postal service. uu. will intercept your package and you may be arrested…
It seems like it would be obvious, but people keep doing it. every year, thousands of packages are intercepted; for example, postal inspectors seized 39,301 pounds of marijuana in 2014 and 34,305 pounds in 2015.
Is it just illegal to mail marijuana across state lines? what happens if you mail marijuana to an address in your own state? what if you live in a state where marijuana is legal for recreational use?
what are the penalties for sending marijuana through the mail?
Sending marijuana through the mail is illegal under federal law, but may also carry penalties under your state law. though it varies from case to case, you could be charged in federal court, state court, or both…
what are the penalties for mailing marijuana under federal law and what are the penalties for mailing marijuana under south carolina state law?
Federal law prohibits the shipment of controlled substances
If you’re caught mailing marijuana, you’ve probably violated more than a handful of federal laws. just some of the federal crimes you can be charged with include:
- marijuana trafficking;
- misuse of the mail;
- shipping “harmful items”; and
- conspiracy.
Potential penalties for shipping marijuana under federal law vary widely and may include mandatory minimum penalties depending on your criminal record. Some of the factors that will be considered in sentencing in federal court include:
- the amount of marijuana you mailed;
- the amounts of marijuana other people mailed if you are charged with criminal conspiracy;
- your history criminal , which may increase the sentence range or result in a mandatory minimum sentence depending on the weight of the drug or if you have certain types of prior convictions;
- if you accept responsibility (plead guilty); and
- whether you “cooperate” with the authorities and how valuable your cooperation is to them.
Federal and state marijuana laws are changing rapidly and are likely to change dramatically in the coming years, but it’s not likely that it will be legal to send large amounts of marijuana through the mail any time soon, if ever. once.
For now, sending marijuana through the mail in an amount less than 50 kilos carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if you have no criminal record and are not charged with other federal crimes that carry additional penalties. . potential penalties are doubled for a second offense: up to ten years and a fine of up to $500,000.
state law in south carolina prohibits the possession or trafficking of marijuana
what if the feds decide not to prosecute? are you free?
no.
Possession or distribution of any amount of marijuana is illegal in South Carolina under state law, and possession or distribution of more than the permitted amount for personal use is illegal in all states, including “legal” states. “.
five people accused of trafficking marijuana by mail in sc
As an example, we can look at five people who were recently charged with marijuana trafficking in Sumter, SC.
After a month-long investigation, four people were charged with marijuana trafficking and conspiracy, while another person was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Three of the five were charged with trafficking marijuana in an amount between 100 and 2,000 pounds. however, according to the article, only 14 pounds of marijuana were seized: six pounds that were delivered through the postal service and another eight pounds that were seized while serving a warrant after law enforcement made a controlled delivery of marijuana. the packages.
How do you turn 14 pounds into over a hundred pounds?
the article is not clear on this, but we can assume that, because the defendants are also charged with conspiracy to traffic marijuana, they are being charged with weights of drugs mailed or received by his alleged accomplices, as well as the packages. that were not seized by law enforcement…
what are the penalties for shipping marijuana under south carolina state law?
Marijuana trafficking carries a minimum of one year and up to ten years in prison under South Carolina law if the weight is less than 100 pounds and if it is the person’s first offense. on a second offense, it carries a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison…
If the amount of marijuana is less than 2000 pounds, as charged by three of the sumter defendants listed above, it carries a mandatory prison sentence of 25 years in prison.
How do the police catch people who send marijuana through the mail?
Marijuana has a distinctive odor, and no matter how well you package it with vacuum seals, coffee grounds, or other odor controls, chances are the k-9 units will be able to pick up the scent. even the smallest particle transferred from your hand to the bag can be enough to alert a trained dog to the presence of marijuana.
Of course, if it’s not vacuum sealed and odor protected, human postal workers will pick up the smell too…
In other cases, authorities may be tipped off by associates who have something to do or have been arrested themselves. in either case, law enforcement can quickly obtain a search warrant, confirm the contents of the package, and then set up a “controlled delivery,” in which they allow the package to be delivered and received while law enforcement monitors and possibly searches the transaction.
After the controlled delivery, the police will return with arrest warrants and a search warrant for the residence where the weed was delivered.
Can I ship marijuana in a legal state?
no.
Although federal law prohibits the mailing of controlled substances between states, even shipping marijuana from one location to another within a legal state could subject you to arrest and prosecution.
Federal law aside, even in “legal” states it is not legal to possess or distribute marijuana in amounts greater than that allowed for personal use.
When can marijuana be mailed?
never. do not send marijuana or any controlled substance.
sc marijuana defense attorneys in myrtle beach
If you are accused of mailing marijuana through the postal service, do not make any statements to law enforcement or “come in for questioning” until you have met with your criminal defense attorney. Myrtle Beach Marijuana Defense Attorneys at Coastal Law will investigate his case, negotiate a dismissal or other settlement that he agrees to, or take his case to trial.
Call now at (843) 488-5000 or send a message through the website to speak with a South Carolina marijuana defense attorney today.