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If you have been charged with a drug crime in North Carolina, your opponent – the prosecution – has nearly endless resources available to develop its case against you. In order to balance the score, you need an experienced Greensboro drug crimes lawyer. You can trust the Greensboro attorneys at Schlosser & Pritchett to mount a knowledgeable defense whether you are charged with a misdemeanor or felony drug charge or from simple possession of marijuana to drug trafficking.
Types of North Carolina Drug Crimes
North Carolina Drug Classifications
How you are charged depends largely on what type of substance was found in your possession. The federal government adopted a classification system based on “schedules”. North Carolina statutes revolve around these schedules.
Schedule I drugs include those that are the most dangerous and have a high risk of addiction or dependency and no legitimate medical use. Drugs included under this heading include LSD, ecstasy, heroin and mescaline.
Schedule II substances still have a high risk of abuse but may have legitimate medical uses. These include things like opium, cocaine, methadone, methamphetamines, and amphetamines.
Schedule III drugs are slightly less dangerous than Schedule II substances, but still have a moderate risk of abuse. Schedule III substances include anabolic steroids, testosterone, ketamine, and some depressants.
Schedule IV drugs have a slight risk of dependency and have very acceptable medical uses. Some Schedule IV drugs are valium, xanax, tranquilizers, and sedatives.
Schedule V substances have a very low risk of dependency and include things like Tylenol with Codeine.
Schedule VI substances, like schedule V, have no medical use and a very low risk of dependency. Marijuana is included in this schedule
Possible Consequences of North Carolina Drug Crimes
North Carolina Drug Possession Penalties
The following chart represents your potential sentence if you are charged with a first offense drug possession charge under North Carolina drug laws. .
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If the substance or drug is: Schedule I- Class I felony Schedule II- Class 1 misdemeanor Schedule III- Class 1 misdemeanor Schedule IV- Class 1 misdemeanor Schedule V- Class 2 misdemeanor Schedule IV- Class 3 misdemeanor |
Then the potential sentence is:
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Drug Possession w/Intent to Distribute – Penalties
Drug possession with intent to distribute is a more serious crime than possession alone. Under North Carolina law, possession of a certain amount of a controlled substance can result in a conviction for a trafficking offense that carries a mandatory prison sentence, even for a first time offender. A drug sentence depends on what the substance was that you were caught with and if you have any prior criminal history or convictions.
The following chart gives you an idea of what the potential sentence would be for first time offenders being charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Illegal Trafficking Penalties
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Schlosser & Pritchett – Experienced Greensboro Drug Crime Lawyers
Whether you have been charged with drug possession or drug trafficking in North Carolina, you need to contact a knowledgeable North Carolina drug crime lawyer. We can file motions to suppress any evidence against you and argue illegal search in many circumstances. Police often make mistakes in drug arrests, and a good Greensboro drug crime defense attorney can spot any errors in police procedures, stemming either from a police report or police testimony.
Drug charges against you can be dismissed or reduced if:
Only experienced defense attorneys who have handled many drug cases in North Carolina courts possess the negotiating skills and the knowledge to effectively mount a successful defense against Greensboro drug crimes. Trust the criminal defense attorneys at Schlosser & Pritchett when your freedom or lifestyle is at stake.