Massachusetts Cocaine Laws

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’s major drug threat through much of the 1990s. Today, cocaine (powder and crack cocaine) is the second greatest drug threat in Massachusetts, behind opioids and opiates.

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, manufacturing and cultivation, and trafficking and distribution.

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.

This article summarizes Massachusetts laws and criminal penalties for cocaine-related offenses. It begins with a brief explanation of Massachusetts’ classification of controlled substances. A table separating the state’s drug laws by category follows. The article concludes with a list of related resources.

Massachusetts Drug Classifications

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.

Examples of classified substances in Massachusetts include the following:

  • Class A Substances: ketamine and over 70 opiates and opioids like heroin and fentanyl
  • Class B Substances: cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, and methamphetamine
  • Class C Substances: mescaline, peyote, and psilocybin
  • Class D Substances: barbital, butyl nitrate, and marijuana
  • Class E Substances: any prescription drugs not listed in Classes A through D (e.g., Oxycodone (OxyContin))

Massachusetts drug classifications differ in name from the federal schedule but otherwise are similar. Drugs with high addiction rates and no medical use are considered the most dangerous.

Cocaine Statutes in Massachusetts

The table below lists Massachusetts’ cocaine laws and criminal penalties. For more information, visit FindLaw’s Drug Charges section.

Massachusetts Cocaine Law Code Statutes

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 94C (Controlled Substances Act):

Massachusetts Drug Possession Crimes

Possessing cocaine with knowledge and intent is a crime (Section 34).

  • Up to one year of jail time and a fine of up to $1,000

If the offender has a prior conviction under Section 34 or a prior felony conviction under Chapter 94:

  • Up to two years and a fine of up to $2,000

Possession with Intent to Distribute

A person possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, dispense, or manufacture it faces the following criminal penalties:

  • First offense: up to 10 years in state prison or two-and-a-half years in jail or a house of corrections and a fine between $1,000 to $10,000 (§ 32(A)(c))
  • Second or subsequent offense: up to 15 years in state prison and a fine between $2,500 to $25,000 (§ 32(A)(d))
  • If the person they delivered it to was under 18: between five to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine between $1,000 to $25,000 (§ 32F(d))

Massachusetts Cocaine Trafficking Penalties

Any person who traffics cocaine by manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, or possessing it with the intent to distribute it or by bringing it into the state of Massachusetts is guilty of a crime. Violators face the following penalties based on the amount involved in the offense (Section 32E):

  • Between 18 and 36 grams of cocaine:
    • Mandatory minimum sentence of at least two years in a state prison up to a 15-year maximum sentence
    • A fine between $2,500 to $25,000 (§ 32E(b)(1))
  • Between 36 and 100 grams of cocaine:
    • Mandatory minimum three-and-a-half year state prison sentence up to a 20-year maximum sentence
    • A fine between $5,000 to $50,000)(§ 32E(b)(2))
  • Between 100 and 200 grams of cocaine:
    • Mandatory minimum sentence of eight years in a state prison up to a 20-year maximum sentence
    • A fine between $10,000 to $100,000 (§ 32E(b)(3))
  • 200 or more grams of cocaine:
    • Mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in a state prison up to a 20-year maximum sentence
    • A fine between $50,000 to $500,000 (§ 32E(b)(4))

Massachusetts Related Crimes

Possessing or purchasing with the intent to sell drug paraphernalia, knowing that a person will use it to plant, cultivate, grow, produce, prepare, store, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce cocaine into their body, is a crime. Penalties include:

  • Up to two years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000. (Section 32I)

Violating Section 32 or Section 32I while in, on, or within 300 feet of a school between 5:00 a.m. and midnight or within 100 feet of a public park or playground and also engaging in the following is a crime:

  • Used or threatened violence
  • Possessed a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, or another weapon listed in Chapter 269 Section 10
  • Directed another person to commit a felony
  • Committed or attempted to commit a felony

Violators face the following:

  • Mandatory minimum sentence of two-and-a-half years and up to 15 years in state prison
  • Imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for between two years and two-and-a-half years
  • A fine between $1,000 to $10,000 (Section 32J)

Knowingly causing, inducing, or abetting a person who is under the age of 18 to distribute, dispense, or possess with the intent to distribute or dispense a controlled substance is a crime. Penalties include:

  • Mandatory minimum sentence of five years in a state prison and up to 15 years and a fine between $1,000 to $100,000 (Section 32K)

Note: State laws change often. To confirm current Massachusetts laws, contact a Massachusetts drug crime lawyer or a criminal defense lawyer.

Massachusetts Cocaine Laws: Related Resources

Browse the articles listed below for more information about Massachusetts’ drug laws and more general information about illegal drugs:

In addition, visit the Massachusetts Court System’s website for information about drug courts.

Charged With a Drug Crime in Massachusetts? Contact an Attorney

If you face criminal charges for a drug offense in Massachusetts, contact a drug law or criminal defense attorney near you. Depending on the amount of drugs involved in the offense, you could face many years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines. An experienced attorney can provide specific legal defenses to drug trafficking or other charge.

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