MI COURT OF APPEALS – Over 1000 Cannabis Plants Just a Misdemeanor

[KLAW Blog]

Court rules, Illegal marijuana grow of any size only a misdemeanor in Michigan.

Past defendants may have grounds to fight their prior convictions.

Since the act’s passage in 2018, the outdated 1978 law has led to the charging and conviction of over 3,500 individuals, as per analysis shared by Michigan Supreme Court spokesperson John Nevin with MLive. A total of 1,072 people have been convicted under this law.

Those defendants may have grounds to fight their prior convictions.

From MLIVE

 

Attorney Michael Komorn of the Komorn law firm specializes in cannabis defense and currently has several clients charged under felony marijuana possession laws.

In light of the Court of Appeals ruling, he plans to file motions requesting those charges be reduced to misdemeanors. Komorn said most prosecutors and police have already placed a low priority on marijuana enforcement, except for “certain pockets” of the state. “They’ll raid like the old days, come in with guns and masks and go through that whole process,” he said, “but their dilemma is, how do we charge somebody. 

What, do you get charged with a misdemeanor? “I have a number of cases where they’ve seized property and not charged anybody. And you can only reap the benefits of forfeiture if you get a felony conviction.”

KOMORN LAW
Michigan’s Top Cannabis Legal Defense

If you are facing any charges related to marijuana.
Call us only if you want to fight them…that’s what we do

(248) 357-2550

TIP: We get calls all the time with people who regret hiring a lawyer to represent them for cannabis related charges that didn’t know squat about the laws.  One shouldn’t have to tell them about the law before they convince you to plea.  Hire right the first time because you may not get a second chance to fix it! Ask the attorney questions.

The appellate court reviewed a case that arose from an August 2020 raid in Tuscola County. This raid was conducted by the state police-led Thumb Narcotics Unit, which operates across Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac, and Lapeer counties.

Tuscola County prosecutors have charged Kejbou with two crimes related to the 1978 drug law. This law stipulates that individuals found in possession of less than 20 marijuana plants may face a maximum sentence of four years in prison, while those possessing over 200 plants could face up to 15 years of imprisonment.

Based on the aforementioned felony charges, the Tuscola County Prosecutor’s Office further filed charges against Kejbou for the offense of possession of a firearm in connection with the commission of a felony.

The unanimous ruling by the three-judge Court of Appeals panel concludes that the case should be prosecuted under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act (MRTMA).

Violations for exceeding allowed amounts range from civil infractions to misdemeanors. 

As the act states,“subject to imprisonment unless the violation was habitual, willful, and for a commercial purpose or the violation involved violence,”

The panel determined that felony punishments were not applicable.

Document Link

COA State of MI v SHAALN M KEJBOU- 231005 Pub -1000+ plants

Jan 2024 – Update on Cannabis Scheduling

Officially, cannabis still remains federally prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule I substance. This classification is reserved for substances that are considered to lack any currently accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse.

However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended in August that cannabis be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III.

It’s an election year open the panderverse portal.

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