

If a person in North Carolina possesses even a little bit of cocaine, this is still a Class I felony crime. This means that if convicted, a person could face a jail term of up to 12 months. This term could be extended, depending on the amount of cocaine the accused possessed. Moreover, when it comes to the possession of cocaine, there is no alternative drug treatment program in North Carolina like there are in some other states.

In addition, selling cocaine in North Carolina is a Class G felony, no matter how small the amount was. If cocaine was sold to an individual under the age of 16, was sold to a woman who was pregnant or if it was sold within a certain distance of a school, these are all Class E felonies.

In North Carolina, both the manufacturing and the transportation of cocaine fall under the umbrella of drug trafficking. Depending on the amount of cocaine involved, these activities could be anywhere from a Class G felony, which carries a prison term of up to 41 months and a $50,000 fine, to a Class D felony, which carries a prison term of up to 222 months and a $250,000 fine.

As this shows, prosecutors in North Carolina will not rest on their laurels when it comes to crimes involving cocaine. Even situations involving small amounts of cocaine could lead to serious consequences. Therefore, those who are facing drug charges regarding cocaine may want to seek the assistance of a criminal defense attorney to help prepare a solid case in the accused’s favor.

Source: FindLaw, “North Carolina Cocaine Laws,” Accessed July 17, 2017