Top Stoneham, MA Drug Possession Lawyers Near You
Experienced Criminal Defenses firm who can help with your case, call today!
Free Consultation
PO Box 7592, 58 Oliver Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420
25 Mount Vernon Street, Cambridge, MA 02140
One State Street, Suite 1200, Boston, MA 02109
40 Warren Street, Charlestown, MA 02129
134 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472
529 Main St, Schrafft's City Center Powerhouse, Suite P200, Charlestown, MA 02129
Stoneham Drug Possession Information
Lead Counsel Verified Attorneys in Stoneham
Lead Counsel independently verifies Drug Possession attorneys in Stoneham 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