Important Things to Know When Charged with Drug Possession

Drug possession is described as the crime of willfully possessing illegal substances, such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, or methamphetamine.  In the U.S., drug possession is one of the most common drug-related crimes, accounting for over 1,400,000 arrests each year. 

If you are charged with drug possession, below are some important things you should keep in mind:

Drugs are federally classified into 5 categories, or schedules.

• Schedule I: Have no medical use and have a high potential for abuse. [heroin, GHB, LSD, and marijuana]
• Schedule II: High potential for abuse and addiction. Have some accepted medical uses. [cocaine, methamphetamine, opium, and highly controlled prescription medications like morphine and oxycodone]
• Schedule III: Lower potential for abuse. May not be physically addictive while also having a wider range of medical applications. [anabolic steroids, ketamine, Vicodin, and certain products containing codeine]
• Schedule IV: Mostly prescription medications that have a low potential for abuse. Can become physically and psychologically addictive if abused. [Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, and Ativan]
• Schedule V: Low potential for abuse. Includes mostly medications that contain small amounts of narcotics like codeine.

Drug possession can be charged as a misdemeanor, felony, or sometimes even a more severe charge. 

• The charge usually depends on the type of drug(s) involved. This means that sometimes possession of a specific type of drug can even automatically lead to felony charges. 
• Another factor can be the circumstances surrounding the crime. If there are aggravating circumstances, such as possessing illegal drugs on school grounds, a felony charge is likely. 

Hire a Jacksonville Criminal Law Attorney

If you are charged with drug possession, contact our team at Harris Guidi Rosner, P.A. as soon as possible. If charges are filed against you, the State must provide “discovery,” a formal process of exchanging information between the parties about the witnesses and evidence to be presented at trial. This information is helpful to us and can often assist in building your defense.

It takes experience to properly review police reports, photographs, videos, and conduct depositions. Our team at Harris Guidi Rosner, P.A. has the knowledge to properly evaluate these documents, interview witnesses, and conduct depositions to find possible defenses to your case. When available, this evidence is then used to prepare motions to challenge the State’s evidence at a hearing or prepare for trial.

At Harris Guidi Rosner, P.A., we have a team of criminal defense lawyers who can help you in your time of need. We do not charge for our initial consultation on any criminal matter. During our initial consultation, we take the opportunity to discuss your current situation, answer any questions you may have, and discuss how we can help with representation moving through the legal process. Our experience has shown that the earlier in the case that we are hired, the more we are able to help our clients in their time of need.

The law firm of Harris Guidi Rosner, P.A. has been serving Jacksonville and surrounding counties since 1976.  

To let the Harris Guidi Rosner, P.A. attorneys assist you with your criminal law case, call 904-777-7777 or click our Jacksonville criminal defense attorneys page to learn how we can help you. We have many years of experience in criminal law cases. We are based in Jacksonville, Florida.