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Question: What are the charges for cocaine possession to distribute?

Answer:

The federal government has rules for the penalties federal judges can use against drug possession and trafficking.

 

Federal courts can sentence a person for up to 6 years for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, including the distribution of a small amount (less than 250 grams) of marijuana. A life sentence can result from possession of a controlled substance that results in death or bodily injury of someone else. Possession of more than 5 grams of cocaine can trigger an "intent to distribute" penalty of 10 to 16 years in prison.

 

In Arizona, possession of nine grams of powder cocaine or 750 milligrams of cocaine base is considered "trafficking", with a sentence of 5 years prison.  A judge may sentence an offender to a minimum of 4 years in prison if special mitigating  factors are present, or a maximum of 10 years if aggravating factors are present. An offender convicted of trafficking is not eligible for suspension of sentence or release until the offender has served the sentence imposed by the court.

 

The various prosecutors - state and federal - will decide whether to prosecute an offender under state or federal law. 

 


Comments
1 thru 5 of 15 comments
On 04/16/09
sam from FL said:
I think the reason drugs are illegal is because the government can't tax it.But it's legal when they can make money off it.cigerettes causes cancer, alcohol causes dui's and deaths why are they legal because there taxable. messed up system.
On 04/05/09
from CO said:
Never done drugs in my life and don't agree with people that do. But seriously there are murderers and rapists and child molestors getting less time then this. This is ridiculous!
On 06/02/08
joe P from NY said:

seriously, arresting the user and lower level dealers is a fruitless task that just ends up in crowded prisons, you have to cut the head off to kill the rest, but face it, the US is too interested in oil to realize that the cartels and traffickers make BILLIONS off of something that they usually claim to be morally against. and FYI-"American Gangster" didnt exactly have the story to the T.

On 02/14/08
cam from FL said:

i think the punishment is very harsh as well this world is so messed up especially america, this country is so backwards, if anythings not prohibiting them they want to make it illegal, i dont get how when all these drugs that are on the streets come from the people in charge anyway how did Frank Lucas (from film, "American Gangster")get his drugs all over new york through the military, dont u think this still exists,yes and if the white man can't have a part then its got to be consequences, harsh ones!!!

On 11/01/07
b-ball from Othr said:
this is helpful information about cocaine
1 thru 5 of 15 comments



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