The simple use of marijuana, even sporadic or in small amounts, can cause serious problems for users.
Carrying this substance in pockets, apart from being the object of financial sanction, is liable for the bearer to be brought to justice, with criminal consequences that can be far-reaching.
The only way not to be involuntarily involved in these unpleasant situations is to comply with the legislation and justify that the amount of marijuana is for own use. But this is not so simple, especially when the consumer grows his own plants.
What is the amount of marijuana considered for own consumption
The weight or maximum quantity of marijuana for own consumption in Spain does not appear in the laws. Paradoxically, these laws use the figure of own consumption to discriminate whether or not there is a crime, but in no table or annex of the same, it is specified what exactly the crime is. amount of marijuana allowed. The same happens with other substances.
So, to assess whether or not it is self-consumption, the courts and security forces use a table prepared by the National Institute of Toxicology. In the specific case of cannabinoids, the table establishes a maximum weight of 100 grams of marijuana and 25 grams of hashish.
What fine do you face if you carry a greater amount
The minimum infraction will be punished with a financial penalty of 601 euros. However, if there is recidivism or the authorities observe guidelines that indicate the possibility that marijuana is destined for drug trafficking, the penalties are progressively increased, up to a maximum limit of 30,000 euros.
The most serious cases, in which it is proven that there is drug trafficking, have criminal consequences, with deprivation of liberty for 3 to 6 years, and fines of three times the estimated value of the marijuana seized and seized.
Therefore, it is advisable to walk with leaden feet, if you do not want your life to be ruined by an oversight.
Precautions to take with crops for self-consumption
If the authorities enter your home and verify the existence of marijuana plants, make sure that the quantity of them is very reasonable. We cannot indicate an exact amount, because it is not defined by law.
What we can tell you is that you have to be very careful, trying to have the essential plants, and not one more. Common sense should prevail: put yourself in the shoes of the agents, and assume that you are one of them. You would know perfectly when the crop exceeds the limits of self-consumption, and so do they.
The problem is that, when in doubt, in principle you will be treated as if you were a trafficker or an illegal producer, and brought to justice. Subsequently, it will be your responsibility to try to prove in court that your cultivation is intended for the self-consumption of marijuana.
In this sense, it may be useful to preventively carry out all or some of the following actions:
- Register with a legal association of marijuana users.
- Obtain a medical certificate stating that you suffer from any of the diseases in which the use of cannabis is justified, according to the indications of the SEIC (Spanish Society for Research on Cannabinoids) or the Clinical Commission of the Government Delegation for the National Plan On Drugs, dependent on the Ministry of Health and Social Policy.
- Request an authorization for the medical use and / or cultivation of cannabis from the Spanish Medicines Agency
And remember that prudence is the mother of science, and what a cautious man is worth two.
