What is Drug Trafficking in Tennessee
Updated: 5 days ago
While drug trafficking can occur in any U.S. state, the penalties for the crime can vary depending on location and a variety of other factors. The state of Tennessee has its own unique challenges and penalties for drug trafficking, applicable to even small amounts of controlled substances.
Trafficking Definition
In Tennessee, drug trafficking is defined as any activity involved with the handling of controlled substances. Penalties for drug use may not apply to trafficking situations, since the individual accused of drug trafficking may not be actively be using or consuming the drugs or controlled substances in question.
Trafficking Types
Drug trafficking tends to fall into three distinct categories:
Importing: The act of arranging and managing the activity of bringing drugs and/or controlled substances into the state, from other U.S. states and/or other countries.
Transporting: Physically moving the drugs and/or controlled substances from one location to another, by car, plane, train, or boat. The type of transportation can vary, but none of the options get excluded as transportation.
Selling: Once the drugs and/or controlled substances have been imported and transported, the final step of drug trafficking would be the selling. This can be done on a variety of volumes, so anything from single street dealers to selling the products by the warehouse would apply.
It may help to think of drug trafficking as owning a pizza restaurant where pizza was illegal in the state of Tennessee. In that situation, a pizza store would be seen as engaging in pizza trafficking, even if the chefs and delivery drivers never ate a slice.
Methamphetamine Trafficking
Methamphetamine trafficking, or meth trafficking, presents a unique problem for Tennessee residents. As a nationwide problem, meth usage and trafficking obviously do not get limited to Tennessee alone, but the state has experienced a high volume of meth-related crimes.
Tennessee State Code, Section 39-17-434, specifically addresses the crimes of manufacturing, delivering, selling, or being in possession of methamphetamines with the intent of making (manufacturing), delivering, or selling the product in question. All four situations are violations of the criminal code and are classified as a Class B or a Class C felony depending on amount of possession.
What Trafficking Looks Like
Drug trafficking is often glamorized in films and television. It makes sense from a drama production perspective, as these portrayals usually feature shady characters, warehouses stocked with drugs guarded by armed personnel, and secretive deals with fictional public figures. However, the dramatic representations make for excellent TV, it is important to understand that trafficking as a real crime can occur on a very small scale. A person found with even a small amount of drugs in their possession can be charged with drug trafficking just as effectively as a semi-truck driver with a trailer filled with drugs.
Contact Us Today
If you have been charged with drug trafficking and would like to know more about how we can help you navigate the legal system, contact our office. Attorney David Clarke has the experience to help you achieve the best results for your specific set of circumstances.
