Drug dealing can be a serious crime, especially if the drugs in question are illegal. There are both state and federal laws that regulate this type of activity. The penalties for drug trafficking can be particularly harsh, but they also vary depending on the drugs seized and the amount of the drugs involved.
Despite years of governmental efforts to stem the flow of drugs, drugs are still readily available. In fact, a recent government survey found that 55 percent of high school seniors said it was “easy” to obtain cocaine and 85 percent reported it was easy to get marijuana.
The United States spends $150 billion a year on the war on drugs, and the government claims it has made some progress in fighting the problem of drug abuse. However, the evidence suggests that criminal prohibition has been a failure.
Law enforcement agencies have used random drug testing without probable cause, increased wiretapping and other surveillance, heightened curfews and loitering laws, and other tactics that have degraded the rights of American citizens. These practices have eroded the civil liberties of everyone in our society.
Many states have enacted laws that impose disproportionate sentences for first-time drug offenses, and many of these are mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment. The incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders has resulted in a steep increase in the number of prisons and a huge cost to taxpayers.
If you are arrested for a drug offense, you will need to consult an experienced attorney who can guide you through the legal process and help ensure that your rights are protected. Your attorney will also help you understand whether you have a defense against the charges.
In some cases, your attorney may be able to argue that the police did not conduct a valid search under the Fourth Amendment and that therefore any evidence seized was inadmissible in court. Other times, your attorney may be able to make an argument that you were not predisposed to engage in the type of behavior that led to the arrest or that the arrest was improperly conducted.
Depending on the quantity of drugs in question, penalties can range from fines that greatly exceed those for other types of crimes to prison terms ranging from years to life. In addition, if you are a foreigner, your conviction can lead to deportation from the US.
The most severe federal punishment for drug trafficking is a lifetime sentence and hefty fines of up to $8 million. Similarly, persons convicted of distribution in or near a college or university face a prison term and fines that are twice as severe as those for regular distribution offenses.
While these sentences are not uncommon, they do provide a strong deterrent for people who are contemplating the sale or use of drugs. Those who commit such offenses are often organized crime barons who reap tens of millions of dollars in profits each year from the illegal drug trade.
If we were to repeal criminal prohibition and allow drugs to be regulated as they are today, there would be no more money being spent on the war on drugs. Instead, we would invest that money on programs to help those struggling with addiction and drug abuse. These programs would include counseling, rehabilitation, drug education, and social services to prevent substance abuse in the first place.
