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NYC Designer Drug Lawyers
In the 1980’s, law enforcement began using the phrase, “designer drug,” in order to categorize illegal drugs that had been changed so that they would not fall outside the lines of legality. In the beginning, designer drugs consisted of two categories – one which consisted of existing drugs that had been altered, and the other, which consisted of completely new drugs. In each instance, these drugs are created to bypass the law, as their chemical construction has not specifically been deemed illegal by the United States Government. In the beginning, the initial set of designer drugs arrived as a synthetic form of heroin, and because of the chemical make of this new synthesized opiate, as well as other designer drugs, law enforcement and medical officials had expressed significant concern over their usage, as they have not been properly studied, thus rendering a full grasp of their longterm effects virtually impossible. In many instances, designer drugs are marketed toward teens and young adults, often taking the form of candy or some other non-threatening substance. The term “designer drug,” is also another term for “club drug,” which have increased in popularity over the years, and can include a wide variety of substances, such as MDMA, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine, and Gamma-hydroxybutyrate. Many existing designer drugs are not currently illegal, and if you are caught and arrested for possession of some of these substances, the charges could subsequently, be dropped. While this is the case for some designer drugs, others have already been deemed Schedule I narcotics and if caught with a substance falling under this category, could result in a drug crime conviction. It is imperative that, if you are caught with a substance that has been deemed a designer drug, you contact a New York attorney such as criminallawyersnyc.com. The team at criminallawyersnyc.com have years of experience dealing with drug crimes, as well as other serious offenses such as domestic violence, assault, and sex crimes.
When being charged with the possession of a designer drug, there are several types of offenses that may come up, but in order for you to be prosecuted, the prosecutor will have to first show that the designer drug in your possession does, in fact, fit the bill of a controlled substance, which, due to the rapid nature of production, can often time, prove to be very difficult. There is a high likelihood of dismissal if the drug in your possession has not yet been deemed a controlled substance, but if it is proven, you may face a litany of charges that include drug possession, drug distribution, or drug paraphernalia. If you are caught with a designer drug in your possession, there are a number controlled substance charges that could be leveled upon you, ranging from criminal possession of an illegal substance in the 7th degree, which is a misdemeanor, to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, which is a class A-I felony in the state of New York. The charges leveled at you will depend on the type of drug in your possession, as well as the amount of that particular drug in your possession. If convicted of possession, the penalty can range significantly, from one year in jail, if you are convicted of a class A misdemeanor, to a life sentence if you are convicted of a felonious count. Law enforcement has often maintained an aggressive attitude regarding charges controlled substance possession, and because of this, if you are charged with this crime, it is important that you seek the counsel of criminallawyersnyc.com.