Possession of marijuana unlawful (§ 18.2-250.1)—Virginia Decoded

Possession of marijuana unlawful

A. It is unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally to possess marijuana unless the substance was obtained directly from, or pursuant to, a valid prescription or order of a practitioner while acting in the course of his professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by the Drug Control Act (§ 54.1-3400 et seq.).Upon the prosecution of a person for violation of this section, ownership or occupancy of the premises or vehicle upon or in which marijuana was found shall not create a presumption that such person either knowingly or intentionally possessed such marijuana.Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be confined in jail not more than 30 days and fined not more than $ 500, either or both; any person, upon a second or subsequent conviction of a violation of this section, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to members of state, federal, county, city, or town law-enforcement agencies, jail officers, or correctional officers, as defined in § 53.1-1, certified as handlers of dogs trained in the detection of controlled substances when possession of marijuana is necessary for the performance of their duties.

C. In any prosecution under this section involving marijuana in the form of cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil as those terms are defined in § 54.1-3408.3, it shall be an affirmative defense that the individual possessed such oil pursuant to a valid written certification issued by a practitioner in the course of his professional practice pursuant to § 54.1-3408.3 for treatment or to alleviate the symptoms of (i) the individual’s intractable epilepsy or (ii) if such individual is the parent or legal guardian of a minor, such minor’s intractable epilepsy. If the individual files the valid written certification with the court at least 10 days prior to trial and causes a copy of such written certification to be delivered to the attorney for the Commonwealth, such written certification shall be prima facie evidence that such oil was possessed pursuant to a valid written certification.

History

1979, c. 435; 1991, c. 649; 1998, c. 116; 2015, cc. 7, 8.

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Court Decisions

Lane v. Commonwealth (SCV, 06/18/82)
. . . give rise to a presumption of possession, Code | 18.2-250.1, these factors are circumstances to be . . .

Dukes v. Com. (SCV, 03/09/84)
. . . possession of marijuana in violation of Code § 18.2-250.1, if the Commonwealth be so advised. . . .

Walton v. Com. (SCV, 02/27/98)
. . . possession of marijuana, in violation of Code § 18.2-250.1. *871 The court sentenced Walton to 30 . . .

Maxwell v. Com. (SCV, 02/29/08)
. . . possession of marijuana, in violation of Code § 18.2-250.1. The jury fixed the defendant's . . .

Reittinger v. Com. (SCV, 06/09/00)
. . . possession of marijuana, in violation of Code § 18.2-250.1, and fined $150. The court also . . .

Pierce v. Com. (COA, 06/03/86)
. . . the enhanced punishment provisions in Code § 18.2-250.1. One of the convictions was not contested . . .

Hambury v. Commonwealth (COA, 11/18/86)
. . . give rise to a presumption of possession, Code | 18.2-250.1, these factors are circumstances to be . . .

Peterson v. Com. (COA, 12/15/87)
. . . possession of marijuana in violation of Code § 18.2-250.1 and receive a sentence of twelve months . . .

Wells v. Com. (COA, 08/05/86)
. . . possession of marijuana in violation of Code § 18.2-250.1, if the Commonwealth be so advised. . . .

Green v. Com. (COA, 05/09/00)
. . . violation of Code § 18.2-250.1, possession of cocaine, in violation of Code § 18.2-250,[1] and . . .

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