Is a bowl enough to be convicted of marijuana possession?

One question I often hear from potential clients is whether or not a bowl is sufficient to be found guilty of possession of marijuana in Virginia.

The simple answer is YES.

Virginia law prohibits possessing marijuana. There is no specific amount that has to be in your possession. Just some provable amount of marijuana.

If the bowl that the police find has ever been used, it most likely contains marijuana residue. That will be detectable usually by the officer’s field test.

Thus, finding a bowl often means that the police found marijuana. The Commonwealth still has lots of other pieces of the case to prove, but the existence of marijuana probably won’t be a problem for their case.

Photo by Tha Goodiez

Andrew Flusche

My name is Andrew Flusche. I am a traffic and misdemeanor defense lawyer in Virginia. I limit my practice to traffic tickets and misdemeanor defense, so I know the ins and outs of these offenses. I literally wrote the book on reckless driving in Virginia which you can get on Amazon here or download for free here. I opened my practice in 2008 after earning my Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Since then I have earned over 600 5-star reviews from happy clients on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Avvo. If you’ve been charged with a misdemeanor offense in Virginia, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Your initial consultation is always free, and you'll talk directly with me about the details of your case.