{"id":373949,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:31","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/massachusetts-law\/massachusetts-cocaine-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-10-29T10:47:54","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T15:47:54","slug":"massachusetts-cocaine-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/massachusetts-law\/massachusetts-cocaine-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Massachusetts Cocaine Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Massachusetts Cocaine Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By Samuel Strom, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, especially the Port of Boston, has always been a hub of shipping traffic. Not all of it has been legal. Cocaine was the Bay State\u2019s major drug threat<\/a> through much of the 1990s. Today, cocaine (powder and crack cocaine) is the second greatest drug threat<\/a> in Massachusetts, behind opioids and opiates.<\/p>\r\n

Possessing, selling, or trafficking cocaine can bring severe penalties in Massachusetts. Federal law also imposes stiff penalties for cocaine-related offenses. Federal drug laws prohibit everything from simple cocaine possession<\/a>, manufacturing and cultivation<\/a>, and trafficking and distribution<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Drug crime convictions can carry severe penalties, especially for cocaine. The penalties vary depending on the amount and type of drugs involved and whether the defendant has prior drug convictions in their criminal history.<\/p>\r\n

This article summarizes Massachusetts laws and criminal penalties for cocaine-related offenses. It begins with a brief explanation of Massachusetts\u2019 classification of controlled substances. A table separating the state\u2019s drug laws by category follows. The article concludes with a list of related resources.<\/p>\r\n

Massachusetts Drug Classifications<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Massachusetts classifies controlled substances into one of five classes. Under Massachusetts law, cocaine is a Class B controlled substance. Class B substances have a high potential for abuse and dependence. They also have accepted medical uses in the United States.<\/p>\r\n

Examples of classified substances in Massachusetts<\/a> include the following:<\/p>\r\n