Drug Charges

If you’re convicted of a drug offence in Ottawa, the harsh potential penalties mean that your best chance of avoiding life-changing consequences is to find an experienced lawyer to defend you.

Drug laws are strict across Canada, and charges often carry mandatory minimum sentences. A conviction can lead to imprisonment.

These are outlined in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).

The life long criminal record you have can have far-reaching consequences for your future.

However, no matter how bad the evidence against you seems, a skilled lawyer will always give you a good fighting chance of avoiding these.

The types of drug offences we can help you with include:

• Drug possession
• Drug trafficking
• Drug production

Each of these can be serious criminal offences, depending on the drug in question. Each type of charge can become extremely complex and technical.

However, the burden of proof on the Crown prosecution is high, and you still have hope if you are charged.

We’ll help you understand your charge(s) and prepare a strong defence with the confidence that you can escape a conviction.

Powerful Defence for Drug Offence Charges in Ottawa

Drug possession

Drug possession charges range from simple possession of marijuana to possession of a Schedule I drug like cocaine, heroin, etc.

Possession of a drug for personal use is a lesser offence to possession of a drug for the purpose of trafficking.

Regardless of the seriousness of the charges, an unwanted criminal record could affect your employment and career prospects, your immigration status, your ability to travel, and other areas of your life.

That’s why these charges must be defended vigorously and your rights fought for.

Crown evidence is often based on:

• Surveillance
• Wiretaps
• Search warrants

We may make a constitutional argument, such as:

• Arbitrary detention
• illegal search and seizure
• Other rights breached by the actions of authorities

Our lawyers are experienced in defending drug charges. They will help you examine the process taken by law enforcement officers and all the evidence against you.

In some cases, we’ve even had key drug evidence excluded from a trial, making it impossible for the prosecution to secure a conviction.

Other times, we identify ways to weaken the Crown prosecution case or have the charges excluded on constitutional grounds.

Drug trafficking

Even if the evidence against you is overwhelming, people charged with drug trafficking have rights that must be defended and are innocent until proven guilty.

Drug trafficking is a broad term that can include the following drug-related activities:

• Selling
• Transporting
• Administering
• Transferring
• Giving (even for free)
• Sending
• Delivering

These can be complex cases to handle because the Crown does not need to prove either of the following:

• The substance in question was a drug (it is enough to present it as a drug)
• You made a profit from the trafficking

To anyone charged with trafficking. It may seem like a hopeless case to defend. However, our skilled drug trafficking charge lawyers are used to finding inconsistencies or errors by police officers in following due process.

The evidence may not be as watertight as the police officers make out.

This is your best chance of escaping a conviction.

Drug production

Drug production can include any of the following drug-related activities:

• Synthesizing drugs
• Manufacturing (e.g. cooking) 
• Using any method that alters the physical or chemical qualities of a substance
• Harvesting drugs
• Cultivating or growing the substance that the drug can be derived or extracted from

Punishments are extremely harsh, ranging from three years to life imprisonment. 

So, if you are arrested and charged with drug production, your first thought should be to hire a lawyer skilled in defending drug charges.

With the complex nature of these cases, mistakes are often made by the prosecution. We are adept at picking up on these mistakes and defending your name.