Drugs

Statistics show that drug use in college is very common, with over 50% of college students having tried marijuana, over 30% have abused Adderall and 10% have used Ecstasy or Molly. However, few college students understand the consequences of their actions. The punishments associated with drug use will have a lasting effect on a student’s life.

1. Fines and/or jail time

If you are a student convicted of drug possession in Pennsylvania, you will have to spend a lot of money on fines, and possibly spend some time in jail. It’s true that marijuana laws have become more relaxed as of late, but it’s still possible to be sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined up to $500 for possession of marijuana, even with a small amount. Medical marijuana patients will be considered exempt, but anyone with an expired prescription, or without any prescription, will still be charged and sentenced for marijuana possession.

Possession of other illegal drugs will result in much more serious charges. Getting caught with controlled substances such as Heroin, Cocaine, and prescription drugs can result in:

• Up to one year in prison and up to a $5,000 fine
• Up to two years in prison for a second offense
• Up to three years for a third offense

Unfortunately, consequences for students go beyond legal repercussions.

The effects of having a charge on your record can overflow into school and future employment.

2. Student aid can be revoked

Your federal student aid may also be revoked if convicted of a drug charge, yet few students realize this. This can be potentially devastating for students, especially because more are depending on their own financing for their education, rather than on their parent’s.

3. Academic probation or suspension 

Policies for drug use vary for every educational institution and the situations are evaluated on a case by case basis. Students very commonly are placed on academic probation or sometimes suspended for getting caught with drugs. For example, the University of Pennsylvania prohibits any drug use. Drug use on this campus can result in a wide range of disciplinary actions, ranging from a mere warning to expulsion. The results will depend upon the type of drug, the amount, and if you have repeat offenses.

4. Delayed graduation

If a student misses too many classes because of jail time, probation, or suspension from school, the student might not be able to graduate on time. If your charges are severe enough, your college might decide to withhold graduation until you have complied with rules and penalties.

5. You might get turned down for grad school

Grad school applications ask whether the applicant has been charged or convicted with a criminal offense. Additionally, graduate schools will also run background checks in order to scan for offenses. While graduate schools might not turn down students outright, a mark on your record could give someone else a better chance over you for admission.

The side effects of an arrest and spending time in jail for a drug possession conviction can be upsetting. Many students feel like their future is jeopardized.

If you or a loved one was charged with possession of drugs, contact Brian Manchester today for help with your case. Brian Manchester will fight for you every step of the way and ensure you receive aggressive representation.

He has extensive training in alcohol and drug defense and is even a member of the National College for DUI Defense, the American Chemical Society, and the Society of Forensic Toxicologists. Brian Manchester also regularly attends seminars that specifically focus on DUI defenses, and he was also the Educational Chairman for the Pennsylvania Association of Drunk Driving Defense Attorneys. For a free consultation, we can be contacted at 1-800-243-4878.

On May 25, 2017 Attorney Brian Manchester became the first lawyer in the United States to have a synthetic marijuana analogue drug statute declared unconstitutional by a state or federal supreme court. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the case of Commonwealth v. Herman found that the former analogue based synthetic cannabinoid statute was unconstitutionally vague. They also found that in order to prove a defendant guilty of the Pennsylvania State Designer Drug statute the government must prove that a defendant knew that the compound they were selling has a substantially similar chemical structure to a scheduled drug. This is a requirement that will make it extremely difficult to prove in court.

This is a significant victory in that it is the first time ever a court recognized that an analogue based statute is too vague. Synthetic cannabinoids, also called synthetic marijuana, K2, or Spice are man made compounds designed to mimic marijuana and its effects. The compound in the Herman case was PB-22. Brian Manchester used several experts including John W. Huffman who is widely considered the best expert in the world on synthetic cannabinoids and is the creator of many different synthetic cannabinoid compounds.

Synthetic cannabinoid, K2, Spice cases are very complex cases to defend. It requires a high level of analytical and organic chemistry related knowledge. Attorney Manchester possesses such knowledge through his training at Axion Labs in Chicago as well as his membership in the American Chemical Society and his certification as a Lawyer-Scientist through the American Chemical Society. Not just that but he regularly defends these cases and is asked to consult on many other cases by lawyers from across Pennsylvania. If you or someone you know has been arrested for synthetic drugs, synthetic marijuana, K2, Spice, or any drug case call 1-800-243-4878. Very few lawyers in the country ever get a nation-wide setting precedent. Brian Manchester did and he will use those same skills to defend your case.

“Magic mushrooms” is a term used to describe any fungus that is capable of producing hallucinogenic effects. One of the most popular and commonly available of the “magic mushrooms” is Psilocybe Cubensis. There are several varieties within this species living within ecosystems found all over the world.

The main psychoactive component in “magic mushrooms” is the pro drug psilocybin. A pro-drug is a compound that is biologically inactive on its own, but it breaks down into an active form. In this case, the active form is psilocin. Psilocin is also present natively in the mushroom, but in very small amounts.

When “magic mushrooms” are seized as evidence, they are sent to a crime lab for a forensic drug analysis. This analysis is not identifying the botanical substance Psilocybe Cubensis, but rather the characteristic chemical compounds, psilocybin and/or psilocin. The drug analysis will not be able to identify the species of mushroom present, but the analysis should be able to identify psilocybin and psilocin, which are both Schedule I controlled substances.

However, this analysis is not as reliable as a crime lab report might indicate. Lab analysts seldom receive this type of evidence, and the typical lab process is not designed for these substances. These substances are present in very small amounts, which means testing is occurring at the edges of its capabilities. They degrade under normal environmental conditions, but particularly heat and light. This means they degrade under police storage and laboratory conditions also.

If you have been charged with selling and possessing mushrooms in Pennsylvania or Federal Court one of the most crucial parts of defending these cases is attacking the mushroom test results. Few lawyers do this but is one of the first pieces of evidence we review. The testing of mushrooms is very complex and in my firm we get the test data which can be hundreds of pages of paper. It isn’t the one page piece of paper that the lab gives the police in mushroom cases. If charged with mushroom possession or sales charges in Pennsylvania call our firm at (888) 994-7616.