Countless North Carolina residents get accused of drug crimes every week throughout the state. If you’ve been accused of a drug-related violation, you are certainly not alone. That said, there are a lot of different types of drug crimes you could face, and each of them could come with different penalties if a conviction occurs and depending on the type and quantity of the drugs involved.
Here are some of the most common types of drug crimes defendants get accused of in North Carolina:
- Drug paraphernalia possession: Drug paraphernalia could be any item that is used to take drugs, package drugs, weigh drugs or manufacture drugs. In some cases, these items might be innocuous, like a plastic baggy, and they are only seen as paraphernalia given the context of where they were found.
- Drug possession: Drug possession is the simplest kind of drug offense and simply involves the defendant being accused of having a controlled substance on his or her body, or in an area under his or her control. That could mean that the defendant had drugs in his or her vehicle, apartment or storage area.
- Drug sales: If a defendant is found in possession of a certain high quantity of drugs, police will automatically assume that he or she was trying to sell or deliver drugs. Also, police might catch a defendant in the act of selling drugs.
- Drug trafficking: Like drug sales, if someone is in possession of a certain high quantity of drugs, it could be sufficient evidence to convict him or her of drug trafficking — an offense that comes with very severe punishments.
- Prescription drug crimes: Prescription drug crimes can be simple possession or they can involve selling and trafficking, forging of doctor signatures, doctor shopping, and more.
- Drug manufacturing: This involves making, growing, or otherwise manufacturing controlled substances.
If you’ve been accused of any of the above or some other kind of drug crime, learn about your legal rights and the criminal defense options available to you. This knowledge could save you from conviction, or it could help you reduce your punishments if a conviction is likely.
Source: Marcilliat & Mills PLLC, “Drug Charges,” accessed Jan. 12, 2018