In Florida, drug charges are serious. Possession charges, for example, could lead to the court trying you for a felony. Even what you might consider a milder offense could still result in the state bringing first-degree misdemeanor charges against you. Please continue reading for a brief explanation of these offenses and what might result from any convictions you receive or guilty pleas you make.
To begin, you can find on FindLaw a list of possession charges and their respective consequences. What you might consider a rather mild offense, such as possession of under 20 grams of marijuana, could still resulting up to one year in jail for you. This is in addition to any court fees you may have to pay.
For possessing substances other than marijuana, or for larger amounts of that substance, you may receive stricter penalties. For example, if you were to plead guilty to the possession of more than one gram of LSD or more than four grams of opiates, you could receive a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 30 years in jail.
This is the information that law enforcement professionals would likely share with you if you were arrested. Fortunately, not all of the information out there about drug crimes is as frightening as this. Please do not be afraid to seek answers. Perhaps the best thing that you could do if you were charged with possession or any other drug crimes is to be as informed as possible about your own situation and your rights — before talking to police or attempting to make any deals.
Please do not rely on friends, family, police or state representatives to help you make decisions about your case. These individuals may not be equipped to advise you — and, furthermore, they are probably not professionally bound to work in your best interests. Similarly, please do not use this article as legal advice specific to any material situation. It is only general information.
