Calgary's Drug Laws and Why YOU'RE At Risk for Possession Charges

The drug laws throughout Canada and in Calgary specifically are in the process of changing, though not fast as enough according to some, the medical community and much of the legal community (including more than a few Calgary defence lawyers) have been trying for decades to get the government to start addressing drug use as a public health issues rather than a criminal justice issue.

While we're starting to see that trend occur, and seeing the decriminalization or even legalization of drugs like marijuana, it's still a long way off. The several schedules of controlled substances covered in Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act cover thousands of drugs, from obscure pharmaceuticals to virtually all of the most common "street" drugs" like cocaine, heroine, methamphetamine, and so on.

While you might already be aware that possessing illegal drugs or controlled substances, including prescription medication that isn't your own, is considered a crime by the law and the Calgary Police, you might not know what "possession" entails. It's actually possible to find yourself facing a charge for drug possession when you didn't even know there were drugs anywhere near you.

Drugs in Your Calgary Home, Car, Locker, or Clothing are Yours Under the Law

Before you start to panic, let's be clear: the law doesn't blindly arrest and prosecute everyone in Calgary who accidentally finds themselves "in possession" of controlled substances. If a relative leaves their pain medication behind in your car and you get pulled over for a speeding ticket, you don't have much need to worry.

If a "friend" leaves cocaine in your vehicle and it's found by Calgary Police, however, the assumption is that it belongs to you, and trying to prove you had no idea it was there can be an uphill battle.

Similarly, lend a friend a jacket and end up with something in the pockets that shouldn't be there? You're still very much at risk for a possession charge as long as the drugs are, well, in your possession charge. Same with your home, a locker or other station at work that you control and that doesn't have general access, and so on.

It's not a black-and-white area of the law, and every case is unique, but generally speaking the more control you might reasonably have over whether or not an illegal drug or controlled substance ends up in a certain place, the more you might reasonably face a drug possession charge from the Calgary Police, through no direct fault of your own.

It's one reason to be careful who your friends are!

A Calgary Defence Lawyer Can Help with Your Drug Charges

Even though the law may seem stacked against you, it does do something to level the playing field. When you've been arrested and.or charged with drug possession in the Greater Calgary Area, you're entitled to speak with a knowledgeable and experienced defence lawyer right away. Don't wait to get the help you deserve, call or contact a Calgary drug defence lawyer today!