Drug charges can bring a host of negative impacts to your life, including the tarnishment of your reputation, time in jail, and hefty financial penalties.
Even smaller allegations like possession of drug paraphernalia can lead to this same outcome, which may surprise some. Unfortunately, there is a wide variety of items that fall under this category, too.
Defining drug paraphernalia
Texas Statutes take a look at examples of drug paraphernalia. According to the law, drug paraphernalia can include any materials or equipment used to manufacture, grow, prepare, test or consume any sort of illicit substance.
This means items like scales or balances could technically be considered drug paraphernalia. So can balloons, capsules, blenders, or hypodermic needles. Isomerization devices, testing equipment and even certain types of containers fall under this category, too. So do water pipes, bongs or carburetion tubes.
Even innocent people can end up in trouble
Even if you do not do drugs or know what unlawful items were found in your vehicle, you could end up facing charges for possession of drug paraphernalia. This includes having an item that you did not intend to use for illegal purposes, or a friend leaving something of theirs in your car without either of you realizing it.
It is even possible for a person to purposely plant items that count as drug paraphernalia in the vehicle of a person that they want arrested, though this is less common than a non-malicious accident or misunderstanding.
Of course, it is important for you to fight these allegations regardless of how they came to be, or you could potentially jeopardize many areas of your life.
