Author Archives: Jay Butchko
You Can Still Get Criminal Charges For Possession Of Fentanyl Test Strips In Florida
The five categories of drugs according to the federal Controlled Substances Act are not based directly on the quantity of the drug considered a lethal dose. Therefore, fentanyl, cocaine, Adderall, and hydrocodone are all Schedule II controlled substances, but they do not all carry an equal risk of fatal overdose. Fentanyl is no ordinary… Read More »
What Are Z-Drugs, And Are They Legal?
Children who attended drug education classes in school in Florida in the 1980s and the early 1990s could see through the “drugs are bad” propaganda. At least, they could tell that their buttoned-down teachers simply didn’t know enough about cannabis, cocaine, and heroin to have an informed opinion about them. Meanwhile, the glimmer in… Read More »
Florida Benzodiazepine Laws
Prescription drug abuse has become such a widespread problem that laws have gone into effect to curb the problem. The days of Florida’s pill mills belong to the legendary past; today’s teenagers know the shady strip mall pain clinics of the early part of this century only from hearing their parents talk about them. … Read More »
Florida Man Arrested For Transporting $344,000 Of Cathinone In Rented Vehicle
Cathinone, also known as beta-keto-amphetamine, is the active ingredient in khat, a plant that grows in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Men in Yemen, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and other countries in the region often chew khat during social occasions or in order to stay alert at work. You have probably never encountered khat in… Read More »
Police Seize 36 Guns And A Stash Of Drugs From Broward County House
Few things in life are more enjoyable than sitting on the front porch of your house on a warm Florida night, smoking a joint as heat lightning flashes in the distance and friends stop by for a few puffs. According to his neighbors in his Oakland Park neighborhood, Brett Valley is a “nice kid”… Read More »
Yes, A Minor Can Be Charged As An Adult For Drug Crimes
Florida holds the record for the most draconian sentence ever handed down to a child. In 2001, a judge sentenced Lionel Tate, who was 13 at the time, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. When Tate was 12 years old, he had fatally injured a 6-year-old neighbor. It was obvious to… Read More »
Can Possession Of Opioids Be A Misdemeanor?
Different drugs have been the subject of moral panics at various points in history; there are documentaries on Netflix that will fill you in on the details of some of them. In the 1980s, all you had to do was say “crack cocaine,” and the room would fall silent. Before then, people were scared… Read More »
How A Series Of Minor Drug Offense Convictions Can Add Up To A Life Sentence
People who are serving long prison sentences for drug crimes often look back on that one traffic stop that changed everything. They think that if they had been driving five miles per hour faster or five miles per hour slower than they actually were, then the police officer would not have noticed the broken… Read More »
How Scary Is Isotonitazene From A Medical And Legal Perspective?
Baby Boomers remember a time when heroin was considered the ultimate drug, the most intoxicating substance known to man. The book Wired describes how, on the set of Saturday Night Live in the 1970s, the cast considered cocaine and marijuana good clean fun, and John Belushi just happened to enjoy these fun substances even… Read More »
Florida Pharma Bro Faces Drug Trafficking Charges For Manufacturing Counterfeit Promethazine-Codeine Cough Syrup
Everything and everyone in Florida is fake. When was the last time you saw a Floridian’s natural hair color or genuine expression of emotion? In the winter, Floridians pelt each other with snowballs made of fake snow, and in the summer, they sport fake tans, even though there is more than enough sunshine to… Read More »
