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Denver Criminal Defense Attorneys

Drug Charges in Colorado

Have you been accused of a drug crime in Colorado? A conviction could slam you with harsh penalties, including thousands of dollars in fines and years in prison. Even comparatively minor drug misdemeanors can bring heavy fines and extensive incarceration. Do not take chances with your future when the punishments can be so steep.

Call (303) 861-2800 now to connect with a Denver drug crime attorney from Springer & Steinberg, P.C.. From our office, we represent clients in all corners of Colorado and who are facing some of the most severe drug crime charges on the books.

Why should you choose our Denver drug crime lawyers?

Turn our experience into your advantage. Contact our lawyers in Denver to begin building your defense. Call (303) 861-2800 today.

Types of Drug Charges in Colorado

You can be charged with a variety of different drug crime charges, depending on the details of what you allegedly did. Does that mean you need a variety of law firms to defend you from the charges? Not if you come to Springer & Steinberg, P.C. We are well-versed in all sorts of drug crime laws set by both Colorado and federal law.

To name only a few examples of drug crimes:

  • Possession: If you have an illegal substance, drug, or narcotic on your person, you can be charged with possession. You can also be charged with possession if an illegal substance is found in an area you own or control, like your bedroom or the back of your vehicle.
  • Possession with the intent to distribute: If you are found with a large amount of an illegal substance in your possession, then the district attorney can charge you with possession with the intent to distribute. Basically, your charges are escalated because it is assumed you had too large an amount of drugs for a single person to use on their own.
  • Possession of drug paraphernalia: It is also illegal to own any paraphernalia or products designed to use an illegal narcotic.
  • Trafficking: Moving, transporting, or distributing drugs to others can be considered drug trafficking. The larger the amount of drugs moved or if the transportation of them crossed county or state lines, the charge’s severity can escalate.
  • Manufacturing: Any effort to create an illegal substance or replicate a legal substance like a prescription drug is manufacturing. Cultivating marijuana illegally can also be interpreted as a drug manufacturing crime.

To begin your defense without delay, contact Springer & Steinberg, P.C. at (303) 861-2800 to speak with one of our drug attorneys in Denver.

Five Schedules of Illegal Drugs in Colorado

Your drug crime charges will escalate depending on the “schedule” of the drug in question. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has categorized all substances into one of five different schedules. According to the DEA, the schedule is arranged from “least dangerous” to “most dangerous” drugs based on what they can do to the human body and how addictive they are to the average person.

The five drug schedules that are used in Colorado are:

  • I: “Most dangerous drugs” that have no accepted medical use.
  • II: Drugs with accepted medical use but that have a high likelihood of severe side effects if abused.
  • III: Drugs that may cause moderate side effects with a moderate chance of addiction.
  • IV: Substances with a low chance of addiction and limited psychological and physiological effects.
  • V: “Least dangerous drugs” not known to cause addiction or dangerous side effects in the majority of users.

The accuracy of the DEA’s drug schedule has always been debated, though. For example, under federal law, marijuana is a schedule I drug, despite it having accepted medical use in many medical communities and no clearly recorded severe side effects.

Is Marijuana Legal in Colorado?

Colorado has been in the news in recent years for its adoption of laws that decriminalized recreational marijuana and permitted medical marijuana. The legal updates did not make all marijuana use, distribution, and cultivation legal, though. There are still plenty of laws that criminalize certain uses and interactions with recreational and medical marijuana.

Here is what you should know about Colorado’s marijuana laws (circa Spring 2020):

  • Adults can legally possess and use and gift to another adult up to 1 ounce of recreational marijuana.
  • Possessing 1.1 to 2 ounces of marijuana is a petty offense punishable with a low fine.
  • Using marijuana in public is also a petty offense.
  • Possessing more than 2 ounces of marijuana is a misdemeanor that can include jail time.
  • Possessing 12 ounces or more of marijuana is a felony.
  • Selling any amount of marijuana without a license is illegal.
  • Cultivating 6 or fewer marijuana plants is legal. Any greater amount is a felony.