large part of our practice is devoted to defending accused charged with various drug offences including possession, possession for the purpose of trafficking (“PPT”), trafficking and the production of various drugs.  Almost all drug charges are governed by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The following are the most common drug charges arising from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:

Possession

You may be charged with possession of some drug including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, crystal metha-amphetamine, amongst others. At Neaman and Company we determine whether the prosecutor can prove their case. For example, did you have knowledge and control over the drug? Did the police properly execute their warrant or did they exceed their powers of search and seizure? We will canvass these defences, together with any other defence that may assist our client.

Possession For The Purpose Of Trafficking (“PPT”)

You may be charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking (otherwise known as “PPT”). One example of this charge is where the police find you in possession of some drug. The police may decide to charge you with PPT if the marijuana, for example, is divided into small bags which has the appearance that you possess the drug in order to sell it. Other evidence including scales, “score sheets” and other indications of trafficking may be seized to support the Crown’s case.

In PPT cases, the prosecutor must prove a number of elements of this charge. There are a number of defences that we, as criminal lawyers, can assist you with. These defences include, but are not limited to, the defence that you possessed the drug for personal use, illegal searches and failure to provide “reasonable and probable grounds” for making an arrest.

Trafficking

You may be charged with trafficking. This is, for the most part, a more serious offence than the charges listed above. In this case, the prosecutor must prove all the elements of the offence including an exchange of money (or something of value) for drugs took place. Many of these cases involve what are known as “buy and busts” where an undercover police officer makes (or attempts to make) a purchase of drugs from an accused. This is a very complicated and, at times, technical area of law. At Neaman and Company we will canvass every aspect of the case to ensure that all defences are covered and explored.

Production

You may be charged with production. This is colloquially known as a “grow op” or marijuana grow operation. However, this charge may involve any number of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. At Neaman and Company we will look at all the steps involved in the police obtaining and executing a warrant under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Many cases are dismissed, dropped and/or evidence may be excluded at trial because of a technical error made by the police. As criminal lawyers with experience in this area, we will ensure that no stone is left unturned to ensure that you are defended to the fullest extent under the law.