- Possession or use of a dangerous drug
- Posession of a dangerous drug for sale
- Posession of drug paraphernalia such as equipment or chemicals for manufacture
- Manufacture of a dangerous drug
- Administering a dangerous drug to someone else
- Transport or sale of a dangerous drug
- Obtain the drug through deceit or fraud
More explanation regarding those laws is below, and our attorneys are always available to provide assistance and answer questions.
Drug Possession Laws in Arizona
Arizona law prohibits a person from knowingly possessing or using illegal drugs. If a police officer discovers you under the influence or near an illegal drug, you will face felony drug possession charges. The drug possession penalties in Arizona depend on the type of substance possessed, along with prior criminal history. Below we have listed the drug possession laws in Arizona.
Note: Arizona is the only jurisdiction in the entire nation (including federal and Washington D.C.) ns which first-time possession of a small amount of marijuana (without a medical card) is a felony. Knowing this should impress upon you just how serious drug offense cases can be in Arizona.
Drug Possession Laws for Marijuana
If a police officer finds less than 2lb of marijuana in your possession, you will face the following charges:
- Class 6 felony if the marijuana was found for personal use. This charge could be reduced to a misdemeanor if the marijuana was produced by the individual charged.
- Fine of no less than $750 ($2,000 for wax or oil) or 3 times the value of the substance, with an 83% surcharge added.
- A class 4 felony if the possession is deemed to be for sale, a class 3 felony if possession is between 2 and 4 pounds, and a class 2 felony if over 4 pounds (class two felony if for sale and it is wax or oil).
- You may get prison or jail time, that can vary based on a number of circumstances, including number of prior convictions, type of prior convictions, and other factors.
- Having an experienced attorney is extremely important given a number of laws (such as Prop 200) that may impact the possible sentence you could face.
Drug Possession Laws for Narcotics
If a police officer finds cocaine, heroin, or many kinds of pills in your possession, you will face the following charges:
- Class 4 felony, or a class 2 felony if the possession is deemed to be for sale.
- Fine of no less than $2,000 or 3 times the value of substance, with an 83% surcharge added.
- You may get prison or jail time, that can vary based on a number of circumstances, including number of prior convictions, type of prior convictions, and other factors.
- Having an experienced attorney is extremely important given a number of laws (such as Prop 200) that may impact the possible sentence you could face.
Other Dangerous Drugs
If a police officer finds another dangerous drug in your possession (such as meth or amphetamine), you will face the following charges:
- Class 4 felony, or a class 2 felony if the possession is deemed to be for sale.
- Fine of no less than $1,000 or 3 times the value of substance, with an 83% surcharge added.
- You may get prison or jail time, that can vary based on a number of circumstances, including number of prior convictions, type of prior convictions, and other factors.
- Having an experienced attorney is extremely important given a number of laws that may impact the possible sentence you could face.
- If the drug involved is methamphetamine, Prop 200 will not apply. If the offense involves sale of methamphetamine, you will face even more stringent prison time than other offenses
Prop 200: This provision may require probation for first and second personal use possession offenses if you meet certain requirements regarding your criminal history. Many attorneys are not aware that certain offenses do not exclude a person from Prop 200 eligibility, so it is important to have an experienced attorney who understands the law in this area.
Drug Trafficking Laws in Arizona
If the weight of drugs you possess is greater than the Arizona drug possession laws impose, you could also face serious drug trafficking charges; this is known as the threshold amount. The most important issue respecting the threshold amount is that, if you possess an amount above the threshold, you can be prison mandatory and lose probation eligibility:
- 1 gram of heroin.
- 9 grams of cocaine.
- 4 grams or 50 milliliters of PCP.
- 9 grams of methamphetamine, including methamphetamine in liquid suspension.
- 9 grams of amphetamine, including amphetamine in liquid suspension.
- 2 pounds of marijuana.
Drug trafficking charges can result in hefty fines and extensive prison time. Below we have put together a list of penalties according to your circumstances.
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