Drug law has become one of the largest subsections of the American legal system. There are a variety of complex terms and applicable laws for nearly every category of drugs and charges. Anyone connected to Florida drug charges needs to be familiar with these terms if they hope to handle and formulate a response.
Common drug terms
There are a number of terms usually associated with drug laws. Stimulants, depressants, and psychedelics are the three main categories of drugs. They describe the effect that drugs have on a person. The federal government uses the term schedule to describe the restrictions that are placed on these drugs. Schedule I is the strictest form of regulation and applies to drugs that the government considers the most dangerous. Other common terms are controlled substances (referring to drugs on different federal schedules) and harm prevention (an approach to drug policy that emphasizes treatment over punishment).
Common drug laws
The most well-known drug laws are possession and distribution. Possession involves being caught with a certain amount of a drug on a person or in their home or car. Distributing involves buying, selling, or making other transactions of drugs. There is also the act of manufacturing. Manufacturing involves changing a drug in some way to make it more valuable or potent. Paraphernalia is the term for objects that are associated with drug usage. The presence of paraphernalia can be used as evidence for drug usage or transactions.
Finally, there is the act of racketeering. Racketeering involves setting up an organization that is used to buy, sell, and otherwise run a business associated with illegal drugs. Racketeering laws are used to shut down the greater criminal enterprise associated with drug use. Being familiar with racketeering laws can help a person avoid a decades-long prison sentence. But general familiarity with all of these terms can aid in navigating drug policy debates and the potential criminal status of friends or family members.