Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016
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Federal law and state laws all prohibit the trafficking, sale, and possession of cocaine. While the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) enforces drug prohibition under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, the agency typically goes after organized crime, trafficking, and large-scale operations. State courts handle the majority of drug cases, mostly possession-related charges. A growing number of states have implemented "drug courts" as a way of providing addicts with treatment and probation in exchange for a guilty plea.
Cocaine and methamphetamines are in their own category with respect to charges and sentences, which are generally more severe than for other Schedule I or Schedule II drugs. For instance, possession of 12 grams of cocaine with the intent to deliver is charged as a Class A felony (six to 30 years in prison), but possession of the same amount of heroin with the intent to deliver is a Class B felony (five to 20 years in prison).
The following table lists additional details of Arkansas drug laws pertaining to cocaine and its derivatives. See FindLaw's Drug Charges section for more articles.
| Code Section | 5-64-401, et seq. |
| Possession | Less than 2 grams: Class D felony; 2-10 grams: Class C felony; 10-200 grams: Class B felony (more than 200 grams is automatically considered intent to deliver) |
| Sale (Possession with Intent to Deliver) | Less than 2 grams: Class C felony; 2-10 grams: Class B felony; 10-200 grams: Class A felony; 10-200 grams: Class Y felony (more than 200 grams is still a Class Y felony, but carries a heavier sentence); Subsequent offense: double penalties; increased penalties within 1000 ft. of school, city or state park, school bus stop, skating rink, community center, recreation center, public housing project, drug treatment center, day care center, place of worship, or shelter. |
| Trafficking | 1 g. of cocaine in possession creates a rebuttable presumption of intent to deliver |
| Drug Court Available? | Yes |
Note: State laws are always subject to change through the enactment of new legislation, the passage of ballot initiatives, or other means. Make sure you contact an Arkansas drug crimes attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
Drug abatement programs (often called "drug courts") offer non-violent drug offenders the option of entering drug rehabilitation and submitting to regular drug testing instead of serving prison time. In exchange for a more lenient sentence, the offender enters a guilty plea and serves probation. There are approximately 39 drug court programs throughout Arkansas; contact the Arkansas State Drug Court Coordinator at 1-800-950-8221 for more details.
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