Federal vs. State Drug Laws

Whenever there are both federal and state laws regulating the same thing, it can often be confusing as to what each version says and how they interact with each other. Drug laws in America and Missouri are no different. 

If you’re facing potential drug charges in Missouri, there are several reasons why they may become a federal case, so it may be helpful to understand the similarities and differences between these two sets of laws. 

To that end, the following guide will compare federal vs state drug laws in Missouri by examining the legislation that created them, the guidelines and classifications they use, and some of the common crimes and punishments they both identify.

Codified Drug Laws and Statutes

When looking at federal vs state drug crimes, it’s important to first understand where they came from and how to find or cite them.

  • At the federal level, the United States passed the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 to regulate the manufacturing, importation, use, and distribution of dangerous substances based on their addictiveness, harmful effects, and risk of abuse. Its content and guidance were later added to the United States Code (USC) under Title 21, Chapter 13. While the original Act focused more on general guidance and policy, the 21 USC focuses on implementing and enforcing that law.
  • At the state level, Missouri passed its Comprehensive Drug Control Act in 1989 with many of the same purposes as the Controlled Substances Act. It similarly focuses on regulating dangerous substances but also includes additional provisions, like alternative sentencing programs and prescription drug monitoring. This legislation was codified in the Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo) under chapters 195 and 579. While the former focuses on broader definitions and classifications, the latter deals with crimes that violate state laws and their accompanying punishments. 

Drug Scheduling and Definitions

Both 21 USC §812 and RSMo 195.017 include multiple tiers of different controlled substances based on each one’s potential for abuse and legitimate medical uses. The more damaging and dangerous the substance is, the higher it will climb on the drug schedules below. For example, if a substance has a high potential for abuse and no legitimate medical use, it’s labeled a Schedule I controlled substance. If a substance has moderate potential for abuse but multiple medical applications, it would probably be labeled a Schedule III controlled substance.

Definition Examples
Schedule I
  • Has a high potential for abuse
  • Has no accepted medical use or a lack of accepted safe usage under medical supervision 
  • U.S.
    • Fentanyl
    • Heroin
    • Oxycodone
  • Missouri
    • LSD
    • Heroin
    • Ecstasy
Schedule II
  • Has a high potential for abuse
  • Has an accepted medical use or an accepted medical use with severe restrictions
  • If abused, has a risk of severe psychological or physical dependence
  • U.S.
    • Codeine
    • Demerol
    • Methamphetamine
  • Missouri
    • Cocaine
    • Fentanyl
    • Morphine
Schedule III
  • Has less potential for abuse than Schedule I or II substances
  • Has an accepted medical use
  • If abused, has a risk of moderate/low physical dependence or high psychological dependence
  • U.S.
    • Benzphetamine (a.k.a., Didrex)
    • Phentermine (a.k.a., Adipex, Lomaira, Fastin)
    • Phendimetrazine (a.k.a., Bontril, Obezine, Statobex)
  • Missouri
    • Anabolic steroids
    • Ketamine
    • Certain medications that use Codeine
Schedule IV
  • Has a low potential for abuse compared to Schedule III substances
  • Has an accepted medical use
  • If abused, has a risk of limited physical or psychological dependence compared to Schedule III substances
Schedule V
  • Has a low potential for abuse compared to Schedule IV substances
  • Has an accepted medical use
  • If abused, has a risk of limited physical or psychological dependence compared to Schedule IV substances
  • U.S. – Any substance with less than the following amounts per 100 grams:
    • 200 milligrams of codeine
    • 100 milligrams of opium
    • 100 milligrams of DHC Continus
  • Missouri
    • Lomotil

Failed Criminal Attempts

One important distinction is that federal and Missouri laws don’t care whether the defendant’s attempt to commit the crime succeeded or failed. Just trying to possess, manufacture, sell, etc., a controlled substance is viewed the same as actually possessing, manufacturing, selling, etc., a controlled substance. 

While Missouri’s revised statutes make this obvious by repeatedly including the attempt to commit the offense in the offense’s definition, 21 USC §846 plainly states, “Any person who attempts or conspires to commit any offense defined in this [law] shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the attempt or conspiracy.

Illegal Possession of Controlled Substances

As you might expect, simple possession of a controlled substance is one of the lesser charges for which someone can be convicted, both at the federal and Missouri levels. However, those convictions can still carry severe consequences. 

Drug Possession
Citation Description Sentencing
21 USC §844
  • Unless specifically authorized by another part of the law, possessing a controlled substance is illegal if you don’t obtain it directly from, or with a valid prescription by, a licensed practitioner during their professional practice.
  • It’s also illegal for anyone to possess any List I chemical if someone’s registration (§823 or §958) has been revoked, suspended, expired, or if they’ve stopped operating as per their registration. 
  • Finally, no one may purchase more than 9 grams of certain substances (including ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine bases) within a 30-day period. Of this amount, only 7.5 grams can be imported via private or commercial carriers or the U.S. Postal Service.
First Offense

  • A minimum fine of $1,000 in criminal charges 
  • A maximum fine of $10,000 in civil charges*
  • Up to one year in prison
  • Both fines and prison

Second Offense

  • Minimum fine of $2,500
  • At least 15 days but no more than two years in prison

Three or More Offenses

  • Minimum fine of $5,000
  • At least 90 days but no more than three years in prison
RSMo §579.015 Unless specifically authorized by another part of this law, possessing a controlled substance is illegal. 
  • Possessing any controlled substance (except 35 grams or less of marijuana) is a class D felony (4-10 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine).
  • Possessing 11-35 grams of marijuana or any synthetic cannabinoid is a class A misdemeanor (6 months or more in jail and up to a $2,000 fine).
  • 10 or fewer grams of marijuana or any synthetic cannabinoid is a class D misdemeanor (no jail time and up to a $500 fine). Having a prior controlled substance conviction will escalate this to a class A misdemeanor. 

*Per 21 USC §844a, this is only applicable for those convicted of possessing an amount small enough to be considered “personal use” by the U.S. Attorney General. 

Drug Manufacturing and Distribution

Unlike the U.S.C. the Revised Missouri Statutes have separate citations for the different acts involved with creating and distributing controlled substances. The U.S.C. instead groups these acts with other “prohibited acts.”

Drug Manufacturing and Distribution
Citation Description Sentencing
21 USC §841
  • Unless specifically authorized by another part of the law, it’s unlawful to knowingly or intentionally manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance. 
  • It is also unlawful to create, distribute, or dispense, or possess with the intent to create, distribute, or dispense, a counterfeit substance. 
Varies based on: 

  • the type and quantity of controlled substance(s)
  • whether the defendant is a person or group
  • any history of prior convictions under this same law
  • whether the use of the drug resulted in serious bodily injury or death. 

Prison terms can range from five years to life, and fines can go as high as $75,000,000. 

RSMo §579.055 §579.030  §579.020 
  • Manufacturing, producing, growing, distributing, or delivering a controlled substance is unlawful, including any attempts to do these things. 
  • Knowingly possessing a controlled substance with the same intent is also unlawful, as is allowing a minor to purchase or transport illegally obtained controlled substances. 
  • It’s further unlawful to distribute, sell, or deliver a controlled substance in or near a protected area, such as a school, park, or governmental housing. 
Manufacturing

  • Class C felony (10 years in jail and up to $10,000 fine), unless it involves 35 grams or less of marijuana, which would be a class E felony (4 years or less in jail and up to $10,000 fine).   
  • Class B felony (10-20 years in jail and up to $10,000 fine) if committed within 2,000 feet of a school, college, etc.
  • Class A felony (20+ years to life imprisonment or the death penalty) if an attempt to produce methamphetamine caused a fire or explosion that resulted in serious bodily injury or death.

Delivery

  • Class C felony, unless it involves 35 grams or less of marijuana, which would be a class E felony.
  • Class C felony if the delivery is to someone 17  or younger, unless the recipient is two or more years younger than the defendant, which would be a class B felony.
  • Allowing a minor to purchase or transport illegally obtained controlled substances is a class B felony.

Distribution in a protected area

  • Class A felony, unless it involves 35 grams or less of marijuana.  

*Depending on whether the drug use resulted in serious bodily injury or death.

Drug Trafficking

While federal law groups the subject of drug trafficking under 21 USC §841 with the other offenses listed above, the RSMo devotes two separate sections (§579.065 and §579.068) to further exploring the topic. 

Drug Trafficking
Citation Description Sentencing
RSMo §579.065 (First Degree) It’s illegal to knowingly distribute, deliver, manufacture, produce, or attempt to distribute, deliver, manufacture, or produce controlled substances. Class B felony, unless specific amounts of certain substances are involved, which would be a class A felony. 
RSMo §579.068 (Second Degree) It’s also illegal to knowingly possess or have under their control, purchase or attempt to purchase, or bring into the state controlled substances. Class C felony, unless specific amounts of certain substances are involved, which would be a class B or class A felony.

For example, this crime is a class C felony for a first offense and a class B felony for subsequent offenses if each involves less than one gram of Rohypnol.

Drug Paraphernalia

Of course, neither law neglects the use or possession of certain items commonly used in connection with controlled substances. Whether they’re for ingesting the drug or for some other purpose, drug paraphernalia is just as unlawful as the controlled substances for which they’re used. 

Drug Paraphernalia
Citation Description Sentencing
21 USC §863 Performing any of the following actions in connection with drug paraphernalia is illegal:

 

  • sell or offer to sell
  • transport via the mail or interstate commerce
  • import or export

Includes primarily intended or designed for use in ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing cocaine, hashish, hashish oil, PCP, methamphetamine, or amphetamines into the human body, such as:

 

  • water pipes
  • carburetion tubes and devices
  • chamber pipes
  • cocaine freebase kits
  • chillums
Up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
RSMo §579.040
§579.074§579.076
It’s illegal to possess, manufacture, distribute, deliver, or sell drug paraphernalia, as well as possess it with the intent to use, manufacture, distribute, deliver, or sell it, knowing that it will be used to:

…plant, propogate, cultivate, grow, harvest, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, test, analyze, pack, repack, store, contain, conceal, inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance…” 
Possession

  • Class D misdemeanor for a first offense and class A misdemeanor for subsequent offenses.
  • Becomes a class E felony if the person used, or possessed with intent to use, the paraphernalia to manufacture, compound, produce, prepare, test, or analyze amphetamine or methamphetamine. 

Manufacturing

  • Class A misdemeanor, unless done for commercial purposes, which would be a class E felony.

Distribution or Sale

  • Class A misdemeanor, unless done for commercial purposes, which would be a class E felony.

Conclusion

The differences between state and federal drug crimes are few and usually based on how each set of laws groups controlled substances or the severity of the punishment for committing a crime. Regardless, both sets of laws treat the illegal use of controlled substances very seriously and any drug-related charges should be taken just as seriously. 

If you’re facing potential drug charges, at either the federal or state level, it’s highly recommended that you contact a legal professional as soon as possible. An experienced attorney who specializes in drug laws will be able to thoroughly review your case and come up with the best possible defense for protecting your rights. 

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