The U.S. sees lots of drug arrests. According to FBI data, last year, over 1,632,921 arrests were made in relation to alleged drug crimes in the nation. And the data suggests that marijuana arrests continue to make up a large portion of U.S. drug arrests.
The FBI data indicates that around two out of every five drug arrests in the U.S. in 2017 involved marijuana. Of drug arrests that year, 36.7 percent were for marijuana possession crimes and 3.7 percent were for marijuana manufacturing/sale crimes.
In the region Florida is in, the South, marijuana arrests made up an even larger percentage of overall drug arrests. In 2017, nearly half of drug arrests in this region involved marijuana. In the region, marijuana possession arrests made up 44.9 percent of drug arrests. Meanwhile, marijuana manufacturing/sale arrests made up 3.8 percent of the region’s drug arrests.
As this underscores, it remains very common here in Florida and in the U.S. for people to face arrest and charges in connection to accusations of marijuana crimes.
What people could face if accused of and arrested for drug offenses involving marijuana varies greatly. The specific circumstances of a case impact whether a person would be facing state or federal charges, how severe of charges could be brought and what sorts of penalties could be on the table. Criminal defense lawyers can help individuals arrested for marijuana crimes here in Florida get a clear picture of the stakes in their case and what defense options they have.