Drugs and Narcotics laws have tried to keep up with the changing perceptions and real dangers of substance abuse. By 1970, over 55 federal drug laws and countless state laws specified a variety of punitive measures, including life imprisonment and even the death penalty. To clarify the situation, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 repealed, replaced, or updated all previous federal laws concerned with narcotics and all other dangerous drugs.

Most states have laws that give different treatment to possession of different categories of drugs (i.e. prescription drugs, marijuana, crystal methamphetamine), and also make a distinction in the offense charged as to whether a small amount of the drug was found with the defendant (personal use) or a larger amount (intent to sell or distribute, trafficking). A conviction on a drug charge of any magnitude, even a small amount of marijuana, can seriously affect your present and future employment chances, your education, your reputation and your freedom.

Federal and state drug possession laws make it a crime to willfully possess illegal controlled substances such as marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, LSD and other hallucinogenic agents, and certain prescription drugs without a valid prescription.

These laws also criminalize the possession of "precursor" chemicals used in cultivating and manufacturing drugs, as well as certain accessories related to drug use, cultivation or manufacturing.

Drug possession laws often vary according to the type of drug, the amount of the drug, and the geographic area of the offense. Possession of small quantities may be deemed "simple" possession, while possession of large amounts may result in a charge of presumed "possession with intent to distribute" or with the "intent to sell."

The Law Office of Barry T. Simons has successfully represented individuals charged with the following types of drug offenses:

• Marijuana: cultivation, possession and possession with intent to sell
• Cocaine: possession and possession with intent to sell
• Methamphetamines: possession and possession with intent to sell
• Ecstasy (MDMA): manufacturing, possession and possession with intent to sell
• Prescription Dugs: possession and possession with intent to sell
• Drug Transportation/Drug Smuggling Operations

Through our representation of persons charged with these types of drug crimes, most have avoided being sentenced to serve their time in the Orange County Jail or one of the State prisons, even those charged with cultivating and possessing several hundred pounds of marijuana, large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine or ecstasy. These resolutions were obtained as a result of thorough investigations into the search warrants that were executed and the validity of the information supplied to the government by its agents or through undercover informants. It is important to thoroughly investigate all of the facts and receive all of the evidence in possession of the prosecution before going to trial or engaging in meaningful plea negotiations. This is what the discovery process is for: to investigate the facts, thoroughly review and examine all of the evidence, not just want the prosecution wants to show you, research the legal issues involved and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the prosecution's in order to determine how the case can be successfully defended. This is the importance of retaining a law firm that understands these principles and strives to obtain the best possible result for each and every client.

For more information about drug possession and/or sales crimes, as applied under the laws of the State of California, or to discuss your criminal charges with an experienced criminal defense attorney, please contact us immediately at: 949-497-1729; or complete our Confidential Client Contact Form on our web page.