This does not make me a criminal. This makes me a victim of circumstance.
Now, if I went out last week and bought it, knowing it was illegal, I attempted to use it in a uncivilized way, then yes...throw the book at me.
There is a HUGE difference and it surprises me you can't grasp that difference...
I'm sorry, but according to the letter of the law (as you've described the statute) it appears that you did in fact commit a violation.
Now, does that mean that you should be rushed through the criminal justice system and sentenced to the harshest penalty possible? Of course it doesn't. The Court should, and hopefully will, consider the surrounding circumstances and reach the conclusion that a harsh penalty would serve no purpose in this case. But, for some reason, you want the Court to consider mitigating factors in your own case while ignoring similar factors in others.
So let's look at a hypothetical: you're driving down the road, you're stopped by a traffic officer, you agree to let him search the glovebox, but instead of finding an illegal amount of mace, he finds an old, very small bag of marijuana left there by you wife years ago.
According you your proposed system, you should be given a life sentence. Unless, of course, you consider yourself a "victim of circumstance" and the Court is allowed to consider this evidence. That would be logical, that would be fair, and that would be exactly what you don't want to happen for other people.
Do you honestly believe you're the one and only "victim of circumstance" in the criminal justice system and therefore the only one that shouldn't be subject to blind, automatic sentencing?