What Is Drug Selling? Understanding Drug Distribution Charges and Penalties

The charge of drug selling is usually rather straightforward. If you are caught with an amount of a drug, whether it's one that is legal or illegal, and you are trying to sell that drug to someone else, then you can be charged with drug selling. Most of the time, this is considered a misdemeanor. However, if you are caught with a substantial amount of the drug, a large amount of money and materials that are used to package and distribute the drug, then it could be classified as a felony. If you take the drug to another state or another country, then you could face state and federal charges. This is also a felony in most courts.

Common Drugs Involved in Drug Selling Cases

A charge of drug selling usually isn't punished as harshly as drug trafficking. You're simply selling a drug to another person. Common drugs that are involved in drug selling include:

• Marijuana
• Crack
• Heroin

There are some prescription drugs that are involved in drug selling as well, such as:

• OxyContin
• Xanax
• Hydrocodone

These are drugs that you could be legally prescribed but are selling to other people to get money.

How Courts Determine Drug Selling Sentences

Courts will usually look at the kind of drug involved in the sale to determine the sentence. They will also look at the amount of the drug and whether you have any prior convictions, especially any drug convictions. If you have a certain amount of a drug in your possession, you can still be charged with selling because it's considered more than an amount for personal use.

Penalties for Drug Selling Charges

A drug sale in most states is a felony. However, drug possession is usually a misdemeanor. Our attorneys can try to offer a defense and plea with the prosecution to get your charges dropped from a misdemeanor to a felony so that it doesn't look as bad on your record and so that you don't spend as much time in jail. Most states have penalties for drug selling based on the weight of the drug instead of the type. Texas is an example.

Drug Weight	Jail Time	Fines
Less than a gram	Up to a year or two	Up to $10,000
400 grams or more	Up to 99 years	Up to $250,000

Drugs are divided into categories based on how much they weigh, such as a gram or 400 grams or more. If the drug is less than a gram, then you might be in jail up to a year or two and have to pay fines up to $10,000. However, if you are in possession and are selling drugs that weigh 400 grams or more, then you could spend up to 99 years in jail and see fines that are up to $250,000. As you are charged time after time with drug selling, your punishment will increase as well as the fines.

Mandatory Minimum Sentences and the War on Drugs

There are a few minimum penalties that have been put in place because of the War on Drugs. If you are charged and convicted of selling certain types of drugs, then there is a mandatory time that you have to stay in jail. However, the lawyers at Spodek Law Group can try to get this length of time as short as possible so that you can do other things to benefit your life, such as:

• Attend rehab
• Perform community service

Probation could also be an option if you don't have a criminal history after spending a minimal time in jail.

Importance of Legal Representation in Drug Selling Cases

It's important to seek the assistance of our Spodek Law Group attorneys who can direct you as to what kind of offer to take in court and what kind of defense you can use. Sometimes, you can use a defense that:

• You weren't selling the drug
• You didn't know that the drug was in your possession if it's inside a bag