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Not a User but Caught with Drugs?

Jan. 2, 2018

Picture this; it’s your first week on campus, and you meet a couple of other students at the cafeteria. You start to hang out together and go to a couple of parties. Later on in the week, one of them asks you to deliver a sealed envelope to the other acquaintance. You think nothing of it, but maybe you should think again.

Consequences of Possession and Distribution

If the envelope holds a controlled substance, you may still get in trouble with the law even if you didn’t know what was in the package. Possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute can apply in this case, even if you’re unknowingly doing a favor between two friends.

The penalties involved are less than if you were receiving payment for the delivery, but you can be charged with a crime nonetheless. Possession of illegal drugs is a jail term of no more than 180 days, but the delivery of controlled substances is for at least 180 days and could be up to a year.

Extra Penalties when Minors and Larger Quantities Are Involved

Do you know if your friend is a minor? If they are and you get caught delivering a controlled substance, law enforcement could charge you with a 2nd-degree felony. You will be fined for up to 10,000 dollars and have to spend at least two years in jail.

The quantity and type of drugs found on your person may indicate a felony charge. Marijuana possession in smaller amounts classifies as a misdemeanor, but in larger amounts of more than four ounces and less than 5 pounds qualifies as a felony.

Because it’s possible that you can trouble even if you don’t use drugs, the best policy is knowing who your friends are. If you find out they’re involved with controlled substances or marijuana, stay away.