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facing drug charges, will a medical card help?

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samanthavad

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I am currently facing drug charges due to my toxic boyfriend (see my other posts). They are trying to make me go to drug court and probation. Will me having a medical Marijuana card make any difference? I've smoked for so long I am literally terrified thinking about having to quit.
 
Assuming you live in a place like the United States where marijuana is illegal, unfortunately there is no doubt that you will not be permitted to use marijuana anymore, card or not.
 
Felony drug charges knocked down to treatment and probation (especially if the charges are vacated/removed from your record at the end) is a HUGE win, in most places. Although in some places it’s standard for first offences.

The standards vary state by state as to what conditions are usually applied. In my state (where MJ is legal for both Rx & Recreational use) it’s a minimum of 2 years with no drugs or alcohol of any kind.. and any Rx’s have to be approved by a court appointed physician/you doctor will also come under audit at least once a year ...in conjunction with

- 30-90 days inpatient treatment or 5 days a week IOP for 1-6mo
- 2 years outpatient treatment
- X # of meetings per week, although 5 is the most common, I’ve seen both 7 & 14 (court slips collected in the beginning and returned at the end of the meeting, slips both collected by PO at certain intervals and random “spot checks”).
- both scheduled & random UAs, blood tests, saliva/breathalyzer tests, and an ignition lock on your vehicle if you want to drive during your probation.
- plus whatever other hoops to jump through as conditions of your probation the court sees fit to apply (the most commmon is zero contact with individuals and groups, and it HELPS ENOURMOUSLY to immediately take out an order of no contact / restraining order on those individual people listed... so if they contact you? As long as you call the police, each and every single time to report it, you are not in violation of your probation/parole.

It’s involved, to be sure, but most people prefer it rather strongly to going to jail.

Every state has it’s own standards as far as drug court goes... your lawyer would know what yours are / what to expect if you take that option.

If your sentence would otherwise be 4 years or longer? And you’re under 32? Or if the felony isn’t wiped from your record? You could also ask about the military-or-jail option. That one usually requires that you serve some period of time (7 days, 30 days, 3months, 1 year... it’s usually a percentage of your sentence) and then you’re shipped off to boot camp and the felony is wiped in lieu of military service as soon as you complete basic training. I served with a LOT of people who took that option... although they were at the trafficking level looking at 20+ years for the most part, a few were in states where personal use or low level distribution carried monster sentences. I mention it, because it’s an option women simply aren’t told about more often than not, even if their charges/sentence meet the requirements. But, similar to drug court (but worse, younreeeeally don’t want to find yourself in military courts) there’s no illegal drug use in the military, and MJ is still illegal at the federal level.
 
Any addiction is a bad thing no matter what it is. I'm an alcoholic and a smoker since I was a teenager. 45 years old now. Haven't used both for 8 months now. It was hard but worth it. Now I'm a addicted to nicotine sprays. A lesser evil. Maybe a addiction programme will help you. Good luck. S3 🙂.
 
everything. My anxiety is a million times worse, I cant eat, I cant get myself to leave the house, I have nightmares, and more
Maybe getting help with reducing your use might help with these worries? Because it doesn't have to be all or nothing? I.e. cannabis or no cannabis.
You have a lot going on right now and adding changing your behaviour into the mix can be so hard to think about.
But, law enforcement and authorities are involved which means that some of your options are more limited. And maybe trying to find the bits within that which you can control might make all the anxiety more bearable?
Going to drug court and probation, whilst scary, could have positives in them? There is a system (one that has power over you admittedly), that can help?
I find sometimes that it helps to see a problem from a different perspective. To se what positives there can be in the situation?
 
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Maybe getting help with reducing your use might help with these worries? Because it doesn't have to be all or nothing? I.e. cannabis or no cannabis.
You have a lot going on right now and adding changing your behaviour into the mix can be so hard to think about.
But, law enforcement and authorities are involved which means that some of your options are more limited. And maybe trying to find the bits within that which you can control might make all the anxiety more bearable?
Going to drug court and probation, whilst scary, could have positives in them? There is a system (one that has power over you admittedly), that can help?
I find sometimes that it helps to see a problem from a different perspective. To se what positives there can be in the situation?
I do have alot going on. This isnt even the half of it. I literally have no permanent address, staying on friends' couches. Trying to get away from my toxic boyfriend. Like i said even the thought of having to quit makes me anxious. How do i get help with reducing? Im stuck between being honest at my evaluation and telling them the truth about my marijuana use or lying and not telling them? I have two people telling me different things and both have been to drug court.
 
How do i get help with reducing?

I don't know where you are in the world and what services there are. Here in the UK, there are free drug services you can contact who would set a plan with you to start to reduce. Is there something similar where you are?
Or if not, you could prob Google some strategies to help you. Like deciding for the first month you'll smoke X less a day, and then reduce it slowly over time?

Im stuck between being honest at my evaluation and telling them the truth about my marijuana use or lying and not telling them? I have two people telling me different things and both have been to drug court.
Only you can make those decisions.
I'd be wary about lying because what are the consequences for you if you are found out to have lied? Would these be lies to court enforced agencies? And if you are found out to have lied, could the consequence be prison?
 
I don't think we have anything like that here, in the USA but i can look into it. I have my pre-probation screening next week, does anyone know if i wil get drug tested there or not yet?
 
I know someone that is currently on probation after having served time in prison for drug charges. They have their medical marijuana card and are allowed to use weed for their medical condition.

I guess it depends on where you live and what the court/probation system will allow.

The person is drug tested regularly and as long as they do everything they are supposed to do everything is good.
 
Hi I sympathize. I only use weed. I like it because I can just not vape and it is fine. I’ve done withdrawals from various psych meds pain killers barbiturates and alcohol. That hurts. I don’t have the same experience at all with weed. I’m not being dismissive of how you feel or saying it wouldn’t be difficult for you. I have not got a card although I can get one, and I don’t know the law. I hope you don’t have to quit, but if you do I hope it goes ok. I understand how you feel.
 
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