Last Updated on: 1st August 2023, 01:29 am

Methamphetamine Possession
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug. It often causes a feeling of euphoria for the person who uses the drug. It’s usually smoked, but it can be injected. The drug is commonly known as meth or ice. If you are caught with this drug in your possession, then you could face time in jail and fines. Small amounts are usually charged as a simple possession, but if you have a large amount on you as well as the materials for packaging, then you could get charged with a felony or trafficking of meth.

There are states that will charge you if you have the ingredients that are required to make meth in the home. These structures are called meth labs. The ingredients can often be purchased in a pharmacy or retail store. Sometimes, a meth lab can explode or catch on fire because the ingredients are too strong or not blended in the proper manner. This can be a hazardous and sometimes deadly situation for the people in the structure and the people in close proximity.

The prosecution will have to prove that you knew the substance in your possession at the time was meth. If you did not know that the substance was meth, then it’s harder for the charges to stay in place in court. This is where the defenses to meth come into play. You could be getting a box of baking soda or another harmless substance that is in a white powder form when it’s actually meth that someone put in the container. If you honestly didn’t know that it was meth at the time, then your attorney can usually get the charges dropped. Your criminal background can come into play at this point as it can provide proof that you haven’t been in trouble. Sometimes, the court might want you to take a drug test to see if you have any kind of drugs in your system. If you don’t, then it further benefits your defense.

Defenses
There must be some kind of intention to possess the drug in order to be charged in most states. This is often the biggest defense that you and your attorney can present to the court. If there are several people in a home where meth is being used or produced, it doesn’t mean that each person is involved in the possession of the drug. Each person would have to be interviewed to determine if their stories match or if someone stands out as the one who does possess the drugs over someone who isn’t involved at all. Another defense is if the drug was found by an unwarranted search by the police officer. The officer has to have some kind of suspicion or reasonable doubt to search your person or your home. If there isn’t a sufficient reason, then the evidence found could be thrown out of court. This is usually one of the primary defenses that an attorney will use if you were searched against your will or without your permission and no other actions were present at the time when you were confronted by officers.

Penalties
The amount of the drug in your possession will play a large part on how you’re sentenced. Your criminal background will also be taken into consideration as well as whether you had materials that could be seen as selling the drug instead of just possessing it for personal use. Most punishments range from five years to 40 years in prison with fines that range from a few thousand dollars to possibly millions depending on the level of the charge.

Attorney Assistance
Your attorney will usually be able to offer enough doubt that you planned to use the drug or that the drug was yours. When speaking with your attorney, you will usually be advised about how to handle the defenses that are presented and how to handle any kind of sentence that you are given.