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In Virginia, marijuana possession is a misdemeanor but hashish oil possession is a felony. How is that possible, when hashish oil comes from marijuana and when the Virginia Code does not define hashish oil?

After all the dizzying strides that the marijuana industry has made in Colorado and other states where marijuana has become lawful, and continued efforts to legalize domestic hemp production, the Trump administration's marijuana policies may make federal litigation all the more necessary and extensive to...

Reefer decriminalization finally has passed the Democratic-controlled Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, most likely to be signed by the commonwealth's Democratic governor after the two chambers' bill versions are harmonized. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer and drug defense attorney, I applaud this progress with...

Cannabis decriminalization and legalization movement has been proceeding at a dizzying pace in numerous states over the last years, after previous decades of organization, toil and sweat by marijuana activists nationwide. As a Fairfax criminal defense lawyer, I deeply thank these activists for their accomplishments,...

Toking pot is popular with millions of people. As a Fairfax criminal defense lawyer, I know that Virginia's governor has approved legislation decriminalizing marijuana, with a few minor recommended amendments.  Virginia SB 2.  July 1, 2020 is the default date for new Virginia legislation to...

Marijuana dismissal for most simple pot possession (versus possession with intent to distribute) cases has arrived with the new Fairfax County and Arlington County, Virginia, prosecutors, who took office this week. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I see this as a big leap forward for...

Steve Descano ran as a reformer to successfully replace the current Fairfax County, Virginia, chief prosecutor. Having won the general election, he has posted two critical recent Facebook articles as he approaches his early January 2020 swearing in. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I take...

Incoming new head prosecutors will start their terms in January 2020 in Fairfax County and Arlington County, and possibly even in Loudoun County. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that each such county that gets a Democratic commonwealth's attorney will experience a prosecutorial sea...

Risking bringing marijuana into Virginia or handguns out of the commonwealth brings serious prosecution exposure. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that such behavior is common in the Northern Virginia / Capital Beltway region, where one can find himself or herself in a different...

Testing for allegedly illegal drugs/ controlled dangerous substances -- other than marijuana plant material (versus hashish oil) -- commonly takes at least four months in my clients' drug cases, and often longer. An exception is for marijuana plant material testing, where I have seen recent...