California and Oregon are both members of the driver’s license compact (DLC) so the OR court in which you are convicted of being in possession of marijuana will report this offense back to California.

When the California Department of Motor Vehicles receives the information on this offense they will place it on your driving record and it may receive points it matches up to a points violations. On the in state points list from the CA DMV we see a marijuana offense listed as one point. We do not see this same offense listed under the out of state violations points list however since it may be listed under a different title such as a drug offense. We would advise you to contact the CA DMV to see how it will be listed on your driving record and if points will be assessed for this possession of marijuana violation you received in Oregon.

Possession of small amounts of marijuana (less than an ounce) is decriminalized in Oregon. The OR limits on weight are very strictly enforced though. Possessing more than an ounce of marijuana is a serious felony which can land you up to 10 years in a state prison and a fine of up to $100,000 fine. Possession of more than 110 grams will be considered a commercial drug offense (you are assumed to be in the drug dealing business), and the penalties become substantially greater.

Justice Courts in Oregon have jurisdiction over tickets for the violation of Possession of Less Than One Ounce of Marijuana. The violation has a minimum fine of $585 and a maximum fine of $1085. In addition, Oregon Legislature requires that the court direct the OR DMV to suspend the defendant's driving privileges for a six month period.

A defendant has not been convicted of any substance abuse crimes or violations and is not now or in the past participated in a substance abuse diversion program; a defendant may choose to petition the court for a Marijuana Diversion.

Diversion lasts for one year and requires the defendant to be drug free, to be evaluated by a drug evaluator, and to participate in the treatment or counseling that the evaluator may recommend. The costs for diversion are a $276 court fee, $90 to the evaluator, and the cost of the treatment program. A diversion petition form is available from the court.

California has some of the most relaxed state laws regarding marijuana possession; however it is still an illegal substance in your home state. Marijuana has be decriminalized in California, as in Oregon, meaning there is no prison time given or criminal record for first-time possession of a small amount for personal consumption.

Possession of one ounce or less in a vehicle while driving may also be charged under the California Vehicle Code 23222. Here it states that in subsection (b) that except as authorized by law, every person who possesses, while driving a motor vehicle upon a highway or on lands, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 23220, not more than one avoirdupois ounce of marijuana, other than concentrated cannabis as defined by Section 11006.5 of the Health and Safety Code, is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100).

Since a drug possession offense is viewed by many insurers as a major offense this Oregon possession of marijuana citation will likely be taken seriously by your son's auto insurance company. It will depend upon their rating system how exactly the ticket will affect his rates however such a conviction would usually raise one's car insurance rates. To find out by how much your son would need to speak with his agent about his insurance provider's rating system.

The CA Department of Insurance may also be able to tell him how this Oregon offense will affect his auto insurance premiums since companies must file their rates with this state agency.