When it comes to drugs, there are two main charges that a person can face: possession and intent to distribute. Possession refers to someone having drugs for personal use only. Intent to distribute refers to drug trafficking and the sale of drugs. While possession is typically a minor crime, it can cause a person to be charged with a...
Continue ReadingThere is a still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Florida’s slow-moving efforts to implement the legalization of medical marijuana. Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment last November stating that the “medical use of marijuana by a qualifying patient or caregiver” should not be subject to civil or criminal liability under state law. But Florida lawmakers, in adopting rules...
Continue ReadingFlorida legislators continue to struggle with last year’s decision by voters to legalize medicinal cannabis through an amendment to the state constitution. Some legislators, concerned that medical marijuana might lead to a rash of people “driving while stoned,” have proposed new laws to expand existing DUI laws to cover THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. However, medical and law...
Continue ReadingSubstance and drug crimes are a major concern for Florida law enforcement. In Orlando and around the state there have been a number of major drug busts recently targeting heroin, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The message is clear: possessing and distributing dangerous narcotics will put you in serious legal jeopardy. Here are just some of...
Continue ReadingFor the past several years, Florida has been a key battleground in the government’s efforts to combat illegal drug use. While recreational drugs like marijuana tend to draw the most attention from the press, the more serious problem of opiate and heroin abuse has rapidly become the top priority for law enforcement and public health officials. Heroin vs. Legal...
Continue ReadingAt first glance, it sounds like nothing more than a funny misunderstanding: Orlando police officers cannot tell the difference between donut glaze and illegal drugs. After all, if anyone should know donuts by sight, it is a cop. But last year, an Orlando man was on his way home from a local convenience store – where he had purchased...
Continue ReadingOn January 3, 2017, Amendment 2 expanded the qualifying medical conditions for obtaining medical marijuana. The Department of Health Office of Compassionate Use is the government agency responsible for creating the regulatory structure for Medical Marijuana. The development of these new regulations are still in the works. So, in the meantime, we are still stuck with the old Florida...
Continue ReadingIt was a typical Friday afternoon for D.R., or at least he thought it was going to be a typical Friday afternoon. He was driving in his car. Stopped into a 7-11. Then left the store and was heading home. Apparently Officers believed that this was a high crime area and D.R. was acting suspicious. That’s when his typical...
Continue ReadingMost crimes are considered serious crimes, however, amongst the most serious crimes such as murder or rape, are drug crimes. Drug crimes can result in serious consequences and without the right legal representation, you can be sent to prison for decades depending on the drug you possessed or were alleged to have possessed. Even if the drugs were not...
Continue ReadingWe are living in a time in which experimentation with drugs is at an all-time high. We are living in an age of experimentation, where the age limits for that experiment is becoming younger and younger. For those in Florida, drug usage has become one of the top experiments for those between the ages of 12 and 21. In...
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