Generally, here in Illinois, being accused of having delivered cannabis to another exposes a person to heftier potential penalties than they would face for possessing cannabis. One exception to this though is if the alleged delivery was a casual delivery. State law dictates that, for penalty purposes, a casual delivery of cannabis is to be treated the same as cannabis possession rather than treated as cannabis delivery.
What exactly constitutes a casual delivery of cannabis? Under state law, a cannabis delivery is a casual delivery if it meets both of these specifications:
- The amount of cannabis-containing substance that was delivered was 10 grams or less.
- The delivery was not made in exchange for any type of payment.
Thus, state law treats some types of cannabis delivery much different than others.
This illustrates a general point regarding drug laws here in Illinois, and that is that Illinois drugs laws are very complex things, with all sorts of different little exceptions to the general rules.
Given this complexity, a person who is accused of drug crimes here in Illinois, such as cannabis delivery, can sometimes experience some confusion regarding what exactly they could be facing if they are convicted of the conduct they are accused of. Such confusion could pose some problems when it comes to making informed decisions in a criminal case.
Helping to clear up such confusion is among the many forms of help that skilled defense attorneys can provide to those accused of drug crimes here in Illinois. Such attorneys can work with drug crime defendants to help them understand the various specifics of their case, including what kinds of penalties they could be facing if they are found guilty of the drug crimes they are accused of.
