Police Now Targeting E-cigarette Users For Potential Drug Possession

The sharply rising trend in e-cigarettes and vaping has also led to some criminal implications as well. Electronic water vaporizers can also be used to consume meth and marijuana, according to law officials. Even though these latest advances in smoking technology can mask the aroma of pot and other narcotics, law enforcement is still keeping an eye out for potential offenders using vaping as a means to get high.

Recently, two people were arrested in a Denton, Texas motel parking lot for smoking marijuana. The officer approached the car and observed the two using an electronic cigarette. The offenders admitted to smoking marijuana, but after further inspection, the officer found methamphetamine, marijuana oil, and a pipe.

The charges for marijuana/hash oil can carry significantly severe penalties. In 2014, a Round Rock, Texas teen faced five years to life in prison for the possession of hash oil in his apartment. Jacob Lavoro was found with large amounts of cash, dozens of baggies full of marijuana and over a pound and a half of pot brownies. Even as a first-time offender, Lavoro was facing steep consequences.

Texas drug laws are among, if not the, toughest in the nation. The proximity to the US-Mexico border causes law enforcement officials to take a very tough stance towards offenders and they will sometimes pursue very stiff penalties.

Drug crimes in Texas can lead to large fines and extended jail time. Charges can include:

  • Possession of a Controlled Substance
  • Delivery or Sale of a Controlled Substance
  • Intent to Distribute
  • Drug Manufacture
  • Intent to Manufacture
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Cultivation of Marijuana
  • Prescription Drug Fraud
  • Theft of Prescription Drugs
  • Facilitating a Drug Transaction via Electronic Device
  • Falsifying a drug test

Drug charges can be filed as either misdemeanors or felonies. Just a small amount of marijuana possession can be charged as a felony if there are aggravating circumstances. What are aggravating circumstances? By law, aggravation is “any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself.” In simpler terms, aggravating circumstances can include an offender’s unwillingness to cooperate, severe bodily injury has occurred or the crime has been committed in conjunction with another serious crime.

If you have been charged with drug possession, please contact Wheeler Law Office immediately. We can be contacted 24/7 at (940) 465-3178 or visit our website. Our legal team is dedicated to aggressively defending our clients and achieving the best possible outcome. Being charged with drug possession can be a life-altering event. You need a lawyer that will relentlessly defend you to ensure that you are given the proper representation. We offer free consultation, flat fees, and payment plans to ensure this already difficult process does not get any more difficult