Ohio Cocaine Laws

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016

The possession, sale, and trafficking of cocaine is illegal in all states. As with federal and most other state drug laws, cocaine is treated as a more serious drug than marijuana.

In Ohio, the criminal penalties depend on the amount of the drug that is possessed or sold. Depending on the drug amount, the defendant will be charged with either a first, second, third, fourth, or fifth degree felony. For example, possession of less than five grams of cocaine is a fifth degree felony and carries with it a penalty of fines of up to $2,500 and a mandatory sentence of six months in jail -- which can be extended up to 12 months in jail.

The penalties for the five degrees of felony cocaine possession are as follows:

5^th Degree Felony -- Minimum 6 months of jail time (up to 12 months); Fines of up to $2,500
4^th Degree Felony -- Minimum 6 months of jail time (up to 18 months); Fines of up to $5,000
3^rd Degree Felony -- Minimum 9 months of jail time (up to 36 months); Fines of up to $10,000
2^nd Degree Felony -- Minimum 2 years of jail time (up to 8 years); Fines of up to $15,000
1^st Degree Felony -- Minimum 3 years of jail time (up to 11 years); Fines of up to $20,000

Learn more about Ohio cocaine laws in the following chart. See FindLaw's Drug Charges section for additional articles and resources.

Code Section	2925.01, et seq.; 3719.01, et seq.
Possession	5th degree felony; 5-25 g.: 4th degree felony; 25-100 g.: 3rd degree felony; 100-500 g.: 2nd degree felony; 500-1000 g.: 1st degree felony; over 1000 g.: 1st degree felony with mandatory maximum prison term
Sale	5th degree felony; 5-10 g.: 4th degree felony 10-100 g.: 3rd degree felony; 100-500 g.: 2nd degree felony; 500-1000 g.: 1st degree felony; over 1000 g.: 1st degree felony with mandatory maximum prison term; Within 1000 ft. of school or 100 ft. of juvenile: more severe penalties
Trafficking	-

Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact an Ohio drug crime attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.

More Information

For additional information on cocaine and drugs, in general, feel free to check out FindLaw’s section on drug charges or click on the links to related resources below. If you find yourself facing cocaine-related criminal charges, or would just like more specific information, you may want to consult with a local drug crime attorney.