The act details two (2) separate types of illegal drugs:
- Drugs of dependence, which are drugs you can not possess without a prescription
- Drugs you cannot possess under any circumstances such as cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, some other chemical substances. The Act provides for variations of offences and the penalties depend on the quantities of drugs involved. Simply put – the greater the amount that is possessed or trafficked the more significant the penalty.
Furthermore, conspiring to commit drug offences or to attempt, to fence or to help induce or encourage someone else to commit an offence is also an offence under The Act.
Police Charges
Police can charge you with four (4) types of drug offences:
- Use
- Possession
- Cultivation and manufacture
- Trafficking and conspiracy
All these have a variety of details set out in the Act and the quantities involved which require careful consideration by Expert Barristers when formulating a Defence or appearing on a plea of guilty, possession of drugs and commercial quantities of drugs.
Possession and Trafficking
Possession of drugs for personal use is usually considered less serious than possessing commercial quantities and the more a person possesses, the more serious the offence.
Higher penalties apply for trafficking large commercial quantities of drugs, such as
- Cannabis 25 kg or 100 plants
- Hashish 1 kg (pure)
- Cocaine 250 g (pure)
- Heroin 250 g (pure)
The penalties for trafficking commercial quantities of drugs are up to twenty-five years or life imprisonment.
