Drug Charges

What You Need to Know About Drug Charges in Ontario

Drug charges in Canada are broadly categorized into two offences: drug possession and drug trafficking. Each offence has a separate set of penalties.

What Is Drug Possession?

Under the controlled drug and substance act, it is illegal to have prohibited drugs in your possession at any time, even if they do not belong to you. To be convicted of drug possession, the prosecutor must prove that you had knowledge and control. This means it was on your person or in a location that you control, such as your home or car.

What Is Drug Trafficking?

Just to clarify, drug trafficking does not only mean selling. Simply giving someone drugs or holding them for the purpose of returning them to the owner also constitutes trafficking. In fact, offering to sell an illegal substance is enough to be convicted under drug trafficking charges. It is not necessary to prove that the accused had drugs on them at the time of the offer.