Drug Trafficking and Minimum Mandatory Sentences

Unlike in many other jurisdictions, drug trafficking in Florida – at the State level – has nothing to do with transporting, delivering, and selling of a chemical or a controlled substance.  Instead, it deals with one element – weight.  In short, if the weight of the substance exceeds certain thresholds, a suspect may be charged with drug trafficking.  Thus, even if a suspect had a certain quantity of drugs for personal use, the State may charge him or her with trafficking if the amount is above a certain weight.

The penalties for drug trafficking can be harsh with mandatory minimum sentences ranging from three to 25 years of imprisonment and fines ranging from $50,000 to $750,000.  Below is a chart delineating the consequences for varying amounts of different substances.  

If you or a loved one has been charged with drug trafficking, it is imperative that you contact a skilled criminal defense lawyer.  Doing so can make the difference between facing these severe penalties or not.

Amount of Controlled Substance

Mandatory Minimum Sentence 

Fine

200 grams or more Hydrocodone

25

$                750,000 

100 grams or more Oxycodone

25

$                750,000 

28 grams or more Opiates

25

$                500,000 

50 to 200 grams Hydrocodone

15

$                500,000 

25 to 100 grams Oxycodone

15

$                500,000 

14 to 28 grams Opiates

15

$                100,000 

10,000 pounds or plants Cannabis

15

$                200,000 

400 grams or more Cocaine

15

$                250,000 

400 grams or more Phencyclidine

15

$                250,000 

25 kilograms or more Methaqualone

15

$                250,000 

200 grams or more Amphetamine

15

$                250,000 

28 grams or more Flunitrazepam

15

$                500,000 

10 kilograms or more GHB

15

$                250,000 

10 kilograms or more GBL

15

$                500,000 

400 grams or more MDMA

15

$                500,000 

7 grams or more LSD

15

$                250,000 

28 to 50 grams Hydrocodone

7

$                100,000 

14 to 25 grams Oxycodone

7

$                100,000 

2,000 pounds or plants Cannabis

7

$                  50,000 

200 to 400 grams Cocaine

7

$                100,000 

200 to 400 grams Phencyclidine

7

$                100,000 

5 to 25 kilograms Methaqualone

7

$                100,000 

28 to 200 grams Amphetamine

7

$                100,000 

14 to 28 grams Flunitrazepam

7

$                100,000 

5 to 10 kilograms GHB

7

$                100,000 

200 to 400 grams MDMA

7

$                100,000 

5 to 7 grams LSD

7

$                100,000 

14 to 28 grams Hydrocodone

3

$                  50,000 

7 to 14 grams Oxycodone

3

$                  50,000 

25 pounds or 30,000 plants of Cannabis

3

$                  50,000 

4 to 14 grams of Opiates

3

$                  50,000 

27 to 200 grams Cocaine

3

$                  50,000 

28 to 200 grams Phencyclidine

3

$                  50,000 

200 grams to 5 kilograms Methaqualone

3

$                  50,000 

14 to 28 grams Amphetamine

3

$                  50,000 

4 to 14 grams Flunitrazepam

3

$                  50,000 

1 to 5 kilograms GHB

3

$                  50,000 

10 to 200 grams MDMA

3

$                  50,000 

1 to 5 grams of LSD

3

$                  50,000