One of the worst parts of having a criminal record, no matter how slight, occurs when you have to fill out an employment application and answer “yes” to that question. After a seemingly minor marijuana conviction, the possibility that you’ll be passed over for a number of job and other opportunities can become unfairly high.
If you are facing a marijuana charge, your life could irrevocably change with a conviction. It won’t just be the short-term effects, either. Even long after you’ve paid the fine and served any jail or prison time, the repercussions will follow you long into your future—which is why it’s so important to fight a charge while you can.
Marijuana Laws May Be Changing Elsewhere, but Not in Texas
The long-term impact of a marijuana conviction is a special case as misdemeanors go, because of the increasing number of states that are legalizing medicinal and recreational marijuana. Recreational marijuana use is now legal in eight states plus the District of Columbia, and medicinal marijuana is legal in twenty-eight states plus the District of Columbia.
However, Texas is not on either of those lists and will not be for the foreseeable future. This means that you shouldn’t count on future legal changes to help your situation; instead, you need to be proactive and contest your charge with legal help now.
Criminal Records Are Public and Easy to Get
Despite all these changes, people convicted of marijuana possession or use—or even just for owning paraphernalia—will still be filling out these job applications, knowing that this is why there are no call-backs. This criminal record will follow you and be available to schools, banks, landlords, daycares, neighbors, and pretty much anyone else who wants to look it up.
You might also be ineligible for public housing, housing vouchers, federal student loans, grants, work assistance, and welfare benefits. You may have your professional license, such as a medical or legal license, suspended or even revoked, and these punishments tend to be worse for drug-related convictions. You will also lose the right to own a firearm, and you could be deported if you are a legal immigrant—even if it is only a misdemeanor marijuana conviction.
It is extremely important to understand how consequential a criminal record will be to your future. You don’t have to accept the charges against you, however—and you shouldn’t.
FREE Legal Evaluation from an Austin Marijuana Possession Attorney
If you or someone you care about is facing a marijuana conviction, you need to be aware of the long-term impact of such a conviction. It will follow you for the rest of your life, and no matter how long ago it was, when you fill out any sort of form or apply for any sort of job, apartment, or loan, it will be certain to be addressed.
Before you agree to any sort of guilty charge or plea deal, speak to an Austin marijuana conviction lawyer from Hines & Holub, PLLC. We can explain what your choices are and why it is important to avoid anything on your record. Please give us a call at 512-472-6565 for a free, no-obligation consultation as soon as you can so that we can begin building our defense. You can also choose to fill out the form below to have one of our associates contact you at a more convenient time.
