If you live in Iowa or are visiting Iowa and consume marijuana, you need to be aware of the laws you are breaking and what the penalties for doing such an act will be. While the exact penalties of being caught with marijuana can vary depending on if it is your first offense and the amount of marijuana you have, you will be punished for being caught with this plant. Continue reading this article to find out the current (as of 2010) laws regarding Iowa marijuana laws and penalties.
Possession of Marijuana:
If you are caught with any amount of marijuana, you will be charged with a misdemeanor. If this is your first offense, you may face up to six months of jail time and face a maximum penalty of $1,000. If you are caught for a second time you will still be charged with a misdemeanor, but this time you’ll face up to one year in jail and pay a maximum fine of $1,500. Any subsequent marijuana offenses, no matter the amount you’re caught with, will be charged as a misdemeanor and you may face up to two years in jail and pay $500 to $5,000 depending on the amount of marijuana you’re caught with.
If you are caught with more than 28.5 grams of marijuana on school grounds while the school is open you will be charged with a misdemeanor and may face up to six months in jail and pay a maximum fine of $500. If you’re caught with marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, no matter if it is open or not, you will be required to undergo a minimum of 100 hours of community service.
For first marijuana offenses, you may be able to receive a conditional discharge of the conviction. This typically consists of undergoing up to two years of probation and possible drug treatment.
Marijuana Cultivation and Sale:
If you are caught growing or selling less than 50 kilograms of marijuana you will be charged with a felony and may face up to five years in prison and pay a fine ranging from $500 to $7,500. If you are caught growing or selling 50 to 100 kilograms of marijuana you will be charged with a felony and may face up to 10 years in prison and pay a fine ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 depending on the amount of marijuana you were caught growing/selling. If you are caught with 100 to 1,000 kilograms of marijuana you will be charged with a felony and may face up to 25 years in prison and pay a fine up to $100,000. Lastly, if you are caught cultivating or selling more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana you will be charged with a felony and may face up to 50 years in prison and pay a maximum fine of $1,000,000.
If you are caught selling marijuana to a minor (someone under the age of 18) you will be charged with a felony and face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years with the possibility 25 additional years. If you are caught growing or selling marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school you will be charged with a felony and face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years with a possibility of an additional 25 years beyond the minimum sentence.
