Drug trafficking involves the transport and commercial exchange of drugs and other illicit substances, chemicals and equipment used to manufacture drugs, and other paraphernalia involved in the creation, trade and use of drugs.
Typically, a prosecutor’s decision to issue a charge of drug trafficking against a defendant is dependent on the amount of the substance found in their possession. As the amount of a given substance in an individual’s possession increases in the graduated spectrum of drug charges, the lowest echelon of drug crime is “possession,” followed by “possession with intent to distribute,” and finally “drug trafficking.”
In Florida, if a person is found to be in possession of a minimum of 25 pounds of marijuana or greater than 300 cannabis plants, they will typically be charged with drug trafficking. Prosecutors do not necessarily need to prove that the defendant had an intent to traffic or sell these amounts, as the mere presence of such a large amount of the substance is enough to constitute reasonable assumption that the drugs are not for personal use. For cocaine, the minimum amount needed to warrant a drug trafficking charge is 28 grams, and 4 grams of heroin constitutes trafficking in the substance.
These amounts constitute the minimum amount warranted to support a drug trafficking charge. Degree of crime and penalties increase as the amounts of the drugs discovered increase. A drug trafficking conviction can result in up to 25 years in prison and as much as a $500,000 fine.
Posted in: Drug Crimes
