Marijuana
Law
As the quotation by Thomas
Jefferson above so eloquently states, citizens must be informed of their
rights in order to preserve them and remain free. The purpose of this
book is to inform marijuana users of their rights and how to protect and
assert them.
This book is based on both
federal and state law. The federal law is applicable to all people in
the U.S. regardless of their state of residence. The state law discussed
will likewise be applicable to just about every reader, regardless of
his or her state of residence. Forty-eight states, as well as the District
of Columbia , have adopted the same basic anti-drug laws known as the
Uniform Controlled Substances Act or the Uniform Narcotic Drug Act. In
these states, the laws are generally identical except with respect to
sentencing. The only two states that have not adopted the U.C.S.A. or
U.N.D.A. are New Hampshire and Vermont ; however, the law in those states
is nearly identical to that in all the others.
After reading this book,
you will be armed with a thorough understanding of your legal rights
in general and specifically with regard to marijuana. An emphasis will
be placed on protections under the United States Constitution. For example,
you will learn when a police officer can legally stop you, when he can
search you, when you have to be read your rights, what to do if an officer
comes to your home with a search warrant, and how to counter many questionable
police tactics simply by knowing and asserting your rights.
Many of the examples in
this book are taken from actual court cases. Occasional factual changes
have been made to help illustrate particular principles.
As a final comment, I should
note that although this book was initially written in the early part of
1992 and completely updated and revised in late 1996, the law is always
changing. Therefore, if you retain a lawyer to defend you on a marijuana
charge you should follow his or her advice whenever it conflicts with
this book.
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