What Happens if I Am Caught Bringing Marijuana Into Texas?

 Posted on November 25,2024 in Drug Crimes

Being caught with marijuana inside the state of Texas is one thing - being caught transporting marijuana into Texas from another state is much more serious. If you are caught in Texas by local police, you will probably be charged with misdemeanor drug possession, unless you had a rather large quantity and are accused of planning to distribute it. If you are caught bringing THC products across state lines into Texas, you can face federal charges. Even if you were still technically in a legal state at the moment you were caught, you might be charged with a federal crime if there is evidence that you were bringing it into Texas. An experienced Houston, TX federal drug crimes lawyer can help you.

Buying Cannabis in a Legal State Does Not Protect You

Texas currently does not allow the sale, use, or possession of recreational THC products and has very limited medical exceptions for low-THC products. However, several nearby states do allow recreational marijuana to be sold. This leads to a lot of people crossing state lines out of Texas to purchase THC products at a dispensary outside the state. People often see this as the safer option over buying marijuana on the black market. Legally, smuggling marijuana across state lines is very risky. If caught, your case will fall under federal rather than state jurisdiction.

All THC products are still illegal at the federal level. When you transport them from one state to another - even if both states have legalized recreational marijuana - you are breaking a federal law, and federal law enforcement can arrest you.

How Serious The Offense is Depends On The Amount of Marijuana You Had 

Interstate drug possession and drug trafficking are similar in that they both involve moving illicit substances around. However, drug trafficking is a much more serious crime. If you only had a small amount of THC products that were clearly intended for personal use, you will probably be charged with possession. If you had a larger amount and it appears that you intended to distribute it to others, you might charged with the more serious crime of drug trafficking.

The problem here is that driving out of the state can be a hassle, so cannabis users tend to buy in bulk so that they do not have to make the long trip again too soon. It is also fairly common for one person to go make a dispensary purchase on behalf of several people. Even if you are not doing this for profit or are only buying for yourself, moving large amounts of THC products can still lead to federal drug trafficking charges.

Contact a Houston, TX Interstate Possession and Trafficking Lawyer 

Murphy & McKinney Law Firm, P.C. can help if you are facing federal drug charges for bringing marijuana into Texas from another state. Dedicated Harris County, TX federal marijuana crimes attorney Doug Murphy has extensive criminal defense experience in both federal and state courts. Contact us at 713-229-8333 for a free consultation.