The war on drugs is as much your responsibility as it is that of the government. Even with strict federal laws that prohibit the manufacture, possession, and sale of drugs, the number of federal drug crimes is still high. Drug abuse in the society costs huge sums of money annually through criminal behavior, dependency treatment, and accidental deaths and injuries.
What Are the Common Federal Drug Crimes?
You have come across DEA and FBI agents following a lead on drug dens. These agencies work tirelessly to book drug criminals. You risk financial losses and jail or prison sentences once you are arrested for federal drug crimes.
You must know the different federal drug crimes that attract serious charges. The following are the most common federal drug crimes:
1. Possession
It is illegal under federal law to own any illegal, controlled substances. Possession is when you are aware of having the drugs and that the amount is enough for personal use or sale. Having illegal drugs without a valid prescription amounts to possession charges.
Possession is limited to physically having the drugs and having access and control to a place with drugs. Owning paraphernalia that aids in drug abuse such as syringes, bongs, and rolling papers without the drugs, also falls under possession.
2. Possession with the Intent to Supply
While possession may be a minor offense, possession while intending to supply is a much bigger offense. The court will have to verify that you had illegal drugs and were planning to sell or distribute them to another person. Often communication through messages, CCTV footage, and large amounts of cash is proof of the intention to supply.
This offense carries a minimum sentence of seven years imprisonment.
3. Production and Cultivation
That backyard meth lab behind your house looks so cool until it lands you in trouble with the law. Production of controlled substances in a laboratory is a federal offense. Cultivation involves growing or producing naturally occurring elements to produce illegal substances.
Purchasing ingredients or cultivation tools for the production or cultivation of illegal substances is also a federal drug crime. When the law finds you guilty of production or manufacture, you risk imprisonment for five to ten years.
4. Drug Trafficking
It is illegal to sell, transport, and distribute illegal drugs. Drug trafficking is more serious because it involves transporting large amounts of drugs. Trafficking contains elements of both possession and distribution, therefore a more serious offense.
A drug trafficking offense lands you into prison for a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment. The sentence increases if severe effects, such as death or injury from the crime, resulting from the act of trafficking.
5. Import of Drugs
It is a federal offense to import drugs from another country. You are charged for illegal importation, whether you were importing the illegal drugs for personal use or sale. Federal drug laws for the import of drugs apply regardless of whether the drugs enter the country.
The Controlled Substances Import and Export Act applies when the court is convicting you to import illegal drugs.
Stay Away from Drugs
Controlled substances have devastating effects on the health and financial capacity of the individual, notwithstanding the problem of drug addiction that drug abusers have. Once you become a suspect in a federal drug investigation, you need to get a competent federal drug charge attorney.
A federal drug attorney will use their knowledge and experiences to launch the best defense possible for the success of your case. All in all, the best defense is to stay away from drugs.
