Raleigh Drug Crime Lawyer

Drug crimes can carry heavy penalties in North Carolina, and you are likely feeling afraid of how this may impact your life and your freedom. State prosecutors typically work to obtain maximum sentences in these cases, and you need a Raleigh drug crime lawyer who is ready to take on your defense with just as much, if not more, gravitas.

North Carolina General Statutes concerning drugs are complicated, but there is hope. Whether you’ve been charged with drug trafficking along US Route 401 or marijuana possession in Lions Park, you deserve to be defended by an experienced attorney who knows how to achieve the most positive outcome possible for your situation.

In fact, first-time drug offenders may qualify for deferred prosecution agreements or conditional discharge programs where they enter into a contract with the State or the judge to complete educational classes, community service, and/or payment of court costs in exchange for a dismissal of the charges. Your lawyer can assess your situation and determine which avenue may be most feasible to be negotiated with the District Attorney.

Granados Law Group: Experienced Attorneys Fighting for You

At Granados Law Group, we believe in strong advocacy and personalized defense strategies for all our clients. When you choose to work with our team on your drug crime case, we are ready to shoulder the legal burdens and do whatever is in our power to ensure your future is not harmed by a drug conviction. For years, we have fought for our clients’ rights and been successful in defending drug crime cases just like yours. We can turn our attention to you. 

Drug Charges We Handle

In 2023 in North Carolina, 38.2% of criminal sentences were related to drug offenses. In Raleigh, drug crimes are not uncommon. In fact, the overall drug crime rate of the city is around 6.8 per 1,000 residents. The most common drug offenses that the team at Granados Law Group has defended against over the years include:

• Drug trafficking. When an individual seeks to sell or distribute illegal drugs or controlled substances, they may face charges of drug trafficking. You may also be charged with drug trafficking if you were found to have large quantities of drugs on your person or in your possession, even if you didn’t actually sell or distribute them. In fact, many people are surprised to find out how even a few prescription drug pills possessed illegally can add up to trafficking weights very quickly.
• Prescription drug fraud. This charge can include any unlawful sale, an attempt to obtain a prescription drug not prescribed lawfully at a drug store, or usage of prescription medications not lawfully prescribed. For all prescription drugs, only the individual who holds the prescription from a doctor or licensed medical provider is allowed to take the medication, and they are only allowed to do so in the manner in which it was prescribed. Anything outside of these parameters can be considered a drug crime, and you can be arrested.
• Possessing drug paraphernalia. If you possess any object or item that may be used to either sell, create, grow, or distribute an illegal drug or controlled substance is illegal in Raleigh, and you may find yourself facing serious charges. This can include scales, pipes, syringes, baggies, and other simple household items.
• Possession with the intent to distribute or sell. When an individual is charged with possession with the intent to distribute or sell, it is usually accompanied by harsher penalties than those involved in drug cases where the substances were only for personal use. You may also be charged with this crime even if a sale or distribution did not actually take place. Simply offering to do so is the commission of a crime. “Helping” a friend acquire some drugs by putting them in contact with someone who sells them the drugs is also illegal, whether or not you got any money for the introduction, because you’re acting as a middleman for an illegal transaction.
• Cultivating and manufacturing drugs. These charges can include any production or growth of illegal drugs, such as growing hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana plants, or running a meth lab. As this crime can affect more individuals than just yourself, the penalties involved are often quite severe.

If you are facing charges for any of these crimes, or any other related to the possession, sale, or manufacture of drugs or illegal substances, the team at Granados Law Group is ready to help. We can review your case, uncover necessary evidence, and ultimately create a defense strategy that can work to keep you safe from a successful conviction.

North Carolina Drug Schedules and Why They Matter

The state of North Carolina adheres to strict laws in order to fight against the rate of drug use, especially when it comes to the abuse of opioids. Since 2021, the state has actually reported a 22% increase in deaths due to drug overdose.

In North Carolina, state law classifies all illegal drugs, otherwise known as controlled substances, into six separate categories based on acceptable medical use or their potential for dependence and abuse. Generally speaking, if a drug has a higher potential for abuse or dependence, the penalties one might face for a charge involving these substances can be much more severe. These classifications, or schedules, of drugs in North Carolina include:

• Schedule I. This classification includes drugs like heroin, GHB, ecstasy, and LSD. There is no acceptable medical use of these drugs, and they all pose an extremely high risk for dependency and abuse, making them the most serious controlled substances and most heavily penalized in the state.
• Schedule II. These drugs include OxyContin, opium, cocaine, and amphetamines. While these drugs may be accepted for certain medical uses, they come with a high risk for both abuse and dependency and are therefore strictly monitored and penalized if used outside of medical treatment.
• Schedule III. These drugs can include anabolic steroids, ketamine, and Vicodin. While these drugs do have quite a bit of medical usage, they may also cause dependency and abuse, making them illegal to use outside of prescription or medical treatment.
• Schedule IV. The most common drug in this class is Valium. Drugs classified as Schedule IV do have several medical uses and come with a much lower risk for abuse or dependency than medications named in Schedule III.
• Schedule V. This category often includes prescription drugs that contain narcotics, such as cough syrup with codeine. Both dependency and abuse are at a much lower risk for these drugs, but they can still be used illegally in certain situations.
• Schedule VI. Marijuana is the most common drug listed in schedule six of Chapter 90.

Hire a Drug Crime Lawyer and Contact Granados Law Group Today

In Raleigh, even a simple possession charge can come with steep consequences. If you have been charged with a drug-related crime, you need to hire a drug crime lawyer as soon as possible. Time is of the essence in these cases, and you need an experienced defense from a team you can count on. Contact the offices of Granados Law Group today and set up your initial consultation to see how we might be of service to you.