Could a Calgary Drug Conviction Affect Your Future?

With marijuana legalization in process and a shifting public and government perspective on recreational drug use, many Calgary citizens might be under the impression that drug offences are no longer a big deal. Drug possession is a crime many commit during their college years and even later in life, and we know that upstanding and productive members of our community may use illegal drugs in a wholly responsible manner. This leads to the impression that the Calgary Police and our local Crown prosecutors don't really care much about drug offences, and that drug charges aren't something you need to worry about.

In reality, a drug offence can still leave a very serious mark on your criminal record, and may even cost you thousands of dollars and years of your life if you are convicted. The idea that law enforcement agencies and Crown prosecutors won't devote much in the way of time or resources to drug offences is also very much mistaken. Though drug abuse is, thankfully, beginning to be treated more as a public health problem than a criminal justice issue, drug offences are still rigorously investigated and prosecuted in Calgary and the surrounding area every single day.

When it comes to protecting your rights and interests, make no mistake: drug offences are serious business, and they warrant your serious attention.

Drug Offences and Convictions are Common in Calgary

Thousands of people are arrested each year just in the City of Calgary on drug offences, and many of those arrests result in convictions. Cast a wider net to the Greater Calgary Area and Alberta at large, and those numbers rise even higher. Our courts and our jails are kept quite busy by people whose only crime was possessing or selling often in small amounts, and in the vast majority of cases with no violence whatsoever illegal substances.

Even if you don't use any illegal drugs, it's all too easy to find yourself charged with a drug offence. If you're pulled over in a friend's car and there happen to be drugs, at a party or a club where drugs are being used, or make an honest mistake with certain prescription medications, you can find yourself caught up in Calgary's criminal justice system and facing a drug charge. If that happens, you are facing the very real risk of losing thousands of dollars and/or spending months or even years in jail depending on law enforcement and the Crown prosecutors' version of events.

One mistake, on your part or on the part of a police or RCMP officer, and your life could be changed forever. It may not seem fair, especially in light of the changing public perspective on drugs, but that is the legal reality in Calgary today. So don't take drug offences lightly—treat them with the seriousness they warrant, and get the help you're entitled to.

Contact a Dedicated Calgary Drug Defence Lawyer Today

For a free initial consultation with one of Calgary's most dedicated defence lawyers, please contact my office today.