In Texas, the law is hard on people who commit drug crimes. Drug possession penalties vary significantly based on a few factors, such as:
- The quantity of the drug in your possession
- The type of drug in your possession
- Past convictions
- How the drug was concealed or stored
- If you have additional drug paraphernalia
There are some drug crimes that are misdemeanors, and there are some that are felonies. You may not be told initially what kind of charges you’re facing. This is one good reason why you should reach out to an attorney to discuss the arrest and the charges that you will be facing.
Are there good defenses against drug crimes?
There are a number of possible defenses that you could use, depending on the case. For example, some possible defenses include that you:
- Didn’t know you were in possession of the drug
- Didn’t intend to use the drug for human consumption
- Have approval to possess the drug as a researcher, medical provider or other possible exempted party
- Have a prescription for medical marijuana
- Didn’t have enough of the drug to face charges
- Have a drug in your possession that has been approved for investigational use and are using it in line with the exemption
Much of your case will come down to what kind of drug you have in your possession, how much of the drug you have and if you have a legal right to possess it. If not, then you could face possession charges and will want to start to build a defense as soon as possible.