Drug paraphernalia is a fuzzier concept than it might originally seem. The term “paraphernalia” is not a closed set of items; there are only four seasons and six or seven colors of the rainbow, depending on whether you consider indigo a separate color, but the number of possible items of drug paraphernalia is indeterminate. It is theoretically endless. Paraphernalia really only means “stuff associated with X.” Therefore, it is easy to understand why whether a certain item is associated with drugs is a subjective question. This is often a point of defense in drug paraphernalia cases. Yes, the presence of a syringe in your car can mean that you were injecting illegal drugs, but there are also legal pharmaceutical drugs that doctors prescribe for patients to inject on an outpatient basis, such as insulin and blood thinners. A spoon could be for heating drugs, or it could be for eating ice cream.
If your legal problems began when police found drugs in your car, contact a Texas drug crimes attorney.
Two Men in the Springtime of Their Lives Arrested With Dozens of Vape Pens
A drug paraphernalia conviction early in life is usually not such a big deal; in some parts of Texas, it is practically a rite of passage. If police find a pipe or similar piece of drug paraphernalia in your car when you have only become eligible for a driver’s license within the past five years, you are the perfect candidate for pretrial diversion. In a pretrial diversion program, you complete a probation-like set of requirements, usually including substance abuse counseling if the charge is for a drug-related offense, and when you successfully complete the program, the court drops the charges, but if you do not successfully complete the program, the court changes your plea to guilty.
Of course, it matters how much drug paraphernalia, and it matters what else the police find when they search your vehicle. Two young men from the Corpus Christi area, one of them 22 years old and the other 18, were driving on I-10 when a police officer conducted a traffic stop and eventually searched the car. The search yielded close to 100 vape pens, plus more than a pound of marijuana, cartridges full of THC oil, and more than two pounds of psilocybin mushrooms. Police allege that the defendants were planning to manufacture edibles or other types of drugs for resale and to distribute them. Therefore, they are facing felony charges for possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, it is critical that you have competent and skilled legal representation to help you secure the best possible outcome.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC, About Criminal Defense Cases
A Dallas criminal defense lawyer can help you fight your charges if you are facing allegations of illegal possession of hallucinogens, other controlled substances, or drug paraphernalia. Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC in Dallas, Texas to discuss your case.