Top Melrose, MA Drug Possession Lawyers Near You
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40 Court St, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02108
10 Liberty Square, Boston, MA 02109
176 Main St, Ste 360, PO Box 465, Southbridge, MA 01550
858 Washington St, Suite 103, Dedham, MA 02026
120 Ingell Street, Taunton, MA 02780
92 State Street, 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02109
96 Main St, Gloucester, MA 01930
64 Mount Vernon Rd E, Weymouth, MA 02189
800 Boylston Street, Suite 1005, Boston, MA 02199
200 Clarendon St, 20th Floor, Boston, MA 02116
Box 219, West Newton, MA 02465
140 Kendrick St, Building C-West, 2nd Floor, Needham, MA 02494
55 Union St, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02108
185 Devonshire Street, Suite 601, Boston, MA 02110
306 Main St, PO Box 249, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
119 High St, Boston, MA 02110
1 Salem Street, Suite 202, Malden, MA 02148
370 Main St, Suite 900, Worcester, MA 01608
250 Commercial St, Suite 210, Worcester, MA 01608
205 Newbury St, Suite 101, Framingham, MA 01701
101 Huntington Avenue, Suite 500, Prudential Center, Boston, MA 02199
401 Andover Street, Suite 201-B, North Andover, MA 01845
PO Box 254, Walpole, MA 02081
15 Broad St., Suite 801, Boston, MA 02109
600 Atlantic Avenue, 12th Floor, Boston, MA 02210
Melrose Drug Possession Information
Lead Counsel independently verifies Drug Possession attorneys in Melrose and checks their standing with Massachusetts bar associations.
Our Verification Process and Criteria
Ample Experience
Attorneys must meet stringent qualifications and prove they practice in the area of law they’re verified in.Good Standing
Be in good standing with their bar associations and maintain a clean disciplinary record.Annual Review
Submit to an annual review to retain their Lead Counsel Verified status.Client Commitment
Pledge to follow the highest quality client service and ethical standards.
Drug Possession
Drug possession is the illegal possession of a controlled substance. Essentially, to be convicted of a drug possession charge, you knowingly must have a controlled substance in your possession or within your proximity, like storing it in your vehicle. Drug possession can also include having a device used for the consumption of a controlled substance. This is a criminal offense under both Massachusetts state law as well as federal law.
Types of Drug Possession Charges
Sometimes drug possession is referred to as actual possession or “constructive” possession, meaning that an individual knowingly has access to and control of a controlled substance but it is not on the person. Some common ways for constructive possession occur is when a person knowingly stores an illegal controlled substance in their car or at their home. Possessing a smaller quantity of a controlled substance for personal use is commonly known as “simple possession.“
What Is A Controlled Substance?
Federal law as well as state law determines the severity of drug possession charges based on the type of drug and divides them into different “schedules.” Each schedule is based on the potential for dependency and abuse. This sliding scale of schedules starts with Schedule V drugs, having the lowest risk, and increases in severity up to Schedule I, posing the most severe risk.
- Schedule I: Heroin, ecstasy, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana, peyote
- Schedule II: Methamphetamine, cocaine, morphine, methadone, phencyclidine (PCP), fentanyl
- Schedule III: Anabolic steroids, ketamine, barbiturates, testosterone, Tylenol with codeine
- Schedule IV: Valium, Xanax, Tramadol
- Schedule V: Other unlawfully obtained prescription drugs and cough medicines like Robitussin with codeine