I was charged with three misdemeanors. One of which was possession of 8 grams of marijuana. I have never been arrested before, what do I do?

If you can afford to hire an attorney, you should schedule an appointment to meet with an attorney who does criminal defense work.  Many criminal defense attorneys will do a free 30-minute initial consultation -- so you can decide whetheer your want to hire the attorney.  You should ask when you call whether the attorney does a free 30- minute consulation -- or, if not, how much the charge would be just for a short intial consultation.  During the meeting the attorney should be able to answer enough of your questions to enable you to decide whether you want to, or can afford to, hire her/him.  If you cannot afford to hire an attorney, you still have to show up in court -- even if you don't have an attorney to represent you at that point.  When you go to court the first time, the judge is supposed to ask you if you want a lawyer to represent you.  If you say "yes," the judge should ask if you can afford to hire one.  If you say "no," then the judge is supposed to ask enough questions to determine whether you qualify for the services of an attorney from the Public Defender's Office.  If the court determines you are indigent, the judge should appoint an attorney to represent you.  Then you should ask for time to talk to the attorney before deciding how to proceed with your case.  Occasionally, a judge will forget or neglect to ask if you want an attorney and whether you have money to hire one.  If that happens, you should (before doing anything else in court) tell the judge that you want an attorney, but cannot afford to hire one.  At that point, the judge should proceed to ask you questions to determine whether you are indigent for purposes of retaining or appointing an attorney.