Types of Drug Crimes Revealed

Drug and alcohol abuse can have a huge impact in the life of a person. It can affect the dependent’s relationship with his friends, family, and with society. There is a big connection between alcohol, drugs, and crimes. According to statistics by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), alcohol and drugs are connected with 80% of offenses resulting to imprisonment in the United States such as domestic violence, DWI/DUI, damage to property, drug-related and public order offenses.

There are different kinds of drug crimes that can be committed by an individual. Both Federal and state laws provide penalties for drug-related offenses. On their websites, Nashville criminal defense attorneys would probably mention that the severity of the charge will depend on the type and quantity of drug involved. In this article, we will look at the different types of drug crimes:

Paraphernalia

A drug paraphernalia is an equipment designed to prepare, inject, inhale, or conceal illegal drugs. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, it is prohibited to sell, import, or export drug paraphernalias such as syringes, pipes, and rolling papers. It is worth noting that some paraphernalia appear legal. Even with just a label, you may be criminally liable depending on where it was purchased or its appearance.

Possession

Depending on what state you are located, laws on drug possession may vary. Nevertheless, it is both a Federal and state crime to possess illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroin. There are two types of offenses that a person caught in possession of a drug can be charged with: simple possession and possession with intent to distribute. With the former, the offender possesses a small quantity of drugs while the latter is possession of a large amount of illegal drugs which could result to harsher penalties.

Manufacturing/Delivery

An individual can be charged with drug manufacturing if they are involved in any step of the production stage of an illicit drug. Federal and state laws consider delivery as a crime. To be convicted, the prosecutor must show that there is an intent to manufacture as well as possession. If proven, the offender can be subject to fines and imprisonment.

Trafficking

Drug trafficking is prohibited by law. It is a more serious crime than just possession because it involves transporting a huge amount of drugs. When charged with drug trafficking, the offender may be imprisoned from a minimum of 3 years to life imprisonment.

Dealing

Dealing is the act of selling illicit drugs on a smaller scale. Differentiated with trafficking, the punishment is less severe as it involves just one person selling a small amount. For less than 50 grams of marijuana, the penalty is imprisonment of up to 5 years and a fine of $20,000. On the other hand, selling more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana can result to a jail term of more than 10 years or higher.