Two arrested, accused of growing marijuana in St. Johns County neighborhood

Police raided a St. Johns County home this month and removed what they described as a sophisticated marijuana grow operation. Investigators took dozens of marijuana plants and said they also found what was described as a hash oil extraction system, which extracts the oil from the marijuana plants, according to a report by News4Jax. The couple living in the home was arrested and both are facing three felony charges. They are charged with producing marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell and owning or renting a home with the purpose of manufacturing contraband. All three charges are third-degree felonies with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Both are facing a possibility of 15 years in prison in this St. Johns County Drug Crimes Case, if convicted and the judge choses to run the sentences consecutively. They are both also charged with one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia, but that’s a minor charge compared with the three felonies.

In St. Johns County Drug Crimes Cases, the amount of a drug a person is accused of possessing plays a major role in the charge. For example, growing marijuana can be considered drug trafficking if police find more than 300 plants. That would make the charge a first-degree felony, with a potential sentence of 30 years, not to mention minimum mandatory sentences that come into play. Police initially talked about dozens of plants in this St. Johns County Drug Crimes Case, so it appears that threshold will not be met. There are, however, several different charges that can come into play for growing marijuana, as evidenced in this St. Johns County Drug Crimes Case. On top of the three charges that have been filed, it will be worth watching to see if prosecutors end up filing additional charges related to the hash oil. If prosecutors can prove what it was being used for, prosecutors may be able to charge it separately because it could be seen legally as a separate drug and a separate product. Initial media reports did not indicate the people living in the home were selling the marijuana and neighbors did not talk about people coming in and out of the home as they would typically do if it was a place where people were frequently buying drugs. Our St. Johns County Drug Crimes Attorney represents people facing all types of drug charges, from misdemeanor possession charges on up to trafficking. Our St. Johns County Criminal Defense Attorney is experienced in investigating drug charges and will thoroughly examine the details of the case against you or your loved one.

If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our St. Johns County Drug Crimes Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.