Our friends and sometime collaborators at EmancipateNC are taking the lead in fight against racist and absurd marijuana* prohibition. Tomorrow, 4/20 they are holding a seminar discussing the legal significance of the

State's inability to distinguish between legal industrial hemp and illegal "marijuana." The seminar runs from 6pm to 7pm.

Cops Can't Tell the Difference

Hemp is indistinguishable from illegal cannabis

As I have mentioned on this blog many times:

1. There is no field test which distinguishes between legal hemp and "marijuana".

2. These substances look and smell the same, both burned and raw.

What Does it Mean in Court?

The legal ramifications of this inability is that the State can't prove the identity of suspected marijuana without costly and time-consuming quantitative testing from a private drug lab. They don't have the resources for the testing and they don't perform the testing. Thus, even an inexperienced attorney should be able to effectively challenge most misdemeanor marijuana charges. This is not to say that a judge can't find someone guilty at a bench trial in District Court. They just probably should not.

What Should I do If a Cop is Investigating me for a Suspected Marijuana Crime?

This circumstance increases the importance of exercising the right to remain silent in contacts with cops who are investigating or suspect the presence of illegal cannabis. Any admission can potentially be used against you! Tell nosy cops that you will need to speak to your attorney before you answer any questions, and call me!

The War on Drugs was never expected or even designed to be won by the government.

Don't be a casualty in the last days of cannabis prohibition. Don't plead to weed!

Sign up for the EmancipateNC seminar here.

I can help with your Wake County weed charge

I am a longtime member of the NORML legal committee, and have had consistent success defending marijuana possession charges in District Court. I charge a low flat fee in these cases. I also charge a reduced fee for other marijuana charges.