San Joaquin County

San Joaquin County is located in California’s Central Valley, with the San Francisco Bay Area to the west. The seat of the county is Stockton, and its population was estimated at 685,306 during the 2010 census.

Marijuana Possession in San Joaquin County

Possession of marijuana in San Joaquin County and most other counties in California has been decriminalized. The legal limit is 28.5 grams of marijuana or less, which is considered a mere civil infraction. For this offense, the penalty is a $100 fine. However, possession in excess of 28.5 grams is a criminal offense which may get the offender a 6-month jail term and a $500 fine.

San Joaquin County’s Cultivation Laws

Under California law, which applies to San Joaquin County as well, the cultivation and processing of marijuana is a criminal offense that merits a 16-month prison sentence regardless of number of plants or amount of marijuana. However, the law does allow certain individuals to cultivate and process marijuana in limited amounts. Exempted from prosecution are patients that have been prescribed marijuana by a doctor and caregivers of such patients.

Patients will first have to get the recommendation of a doctor for medical marijuana and then secure a marijuana ID card. Each patient is legally allowed to maintain 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants and 8 ounces of bud. Caregivers are also allowed to maintain the same number of plants and process the same amount of buds for every patient in his or her care.

Distribution of Marijuana in San Joaquin County

Legal dispensaries are allowed to operate in San Joaquin County under state and county guidelines. However, the sale of marijuana by unauthorized individuals is a felony offense punishable by a 2- to 4-year prison term. For cases involving the sale of marijuana to a minor, the sentence may be as long as 3 to 5 years. For offenders younger than 21 years old, the penalty may include a 1 year suspension of the driver’s license.