There is a great deal of confusion surrounding drug possession laws, especially given that these laws vary per state. Many people believe that they can only be charged with drug possession if they are carrying a certain amount of the drug in question, and it’s not just the heavy-hitting street drugs like heroin and cocaine that can result in charges.
The Scale of The Problem
But just how big are these issues, and how much influence do they have on our country yearly? The Drug Policy Alliance tells us that The Federal Bureau of Investigation released some harrowing statistics towards the end of the last year, addressing the number of arrests made in 2016 for drug possession.
* A whopping 1.57 million arrests were made in 2016 alone for drug law violations.
* This is a 5.63% increase from 2015.
* If you’re looking for more facts to boggle your brain, those amounts are equal to one drug arrest every twenty seconds.
* In total, the number of drug arrests in 2016 was more than three times the arrests made for a combination of all violent crimes.
However, not all of these arrests were legitimate, nor did every single one of the accused intend to break the law. Law professionals like Chad Lewin, a criminal defense attorney at Criminal Defense, Inc., understand that each of those 1.57 million arrests involved an individual with human rights and are dedicated to the lawful defense of those accused with drug possession charges.
Plenty of Defenses
If you’ve been accused or charged with drug possession, the following are only a few of the possible defenses which may serve you well in court.
* You possess the drugs due to medical necessity or you have a prescription from a doctor.
* Lab analysis was unreliable.
* You were the victim of an illegal search or other misconduct by law enforcement.
* And many more!
Chad Lewin, criminal defense attorney, can provide a host of other defenses in court, depending on the circumstances of your charge or arrest.
