Many people’s lives take them in directions they never expected. Unfortunately, for some, that direction is a negative one that results in them facing serious criminal charges. In particular, you may have found yourself caught up in drug-related activity, and thinking back, you may not have known how you landed in such a situation.
Now, you face a legal predicament due to having drug charges brought against you. The exact allegations may relate to dealing in substances that contained fentanyl. Because fentanyl has resulted in numerous overdoses in recent years, authorities may look at your case particularly harshly. However, you may not have known that the substance even contained fentanyl.
Cutting drugs with fentanyl
Typically, individuals looking to purchase drugs want a specific substance. However, some distributors may cut their product with other substances in order to make it go further and make more money. For instance, fentanyl is a cheaper substance than heroin, so some distributors may mix fentanyl into their heroin before distributing to dealers who, in turn, sell the product to unsuspecting buyers.
This cutting of the substance could cause issues for the buyer who may use the substance without knowing it contains fentanyl and for you as the accused dealer who may not have known it contained fentanyl either. Because fentanyl is a potent substance, numerous overdoses have occurred related to its use, including when individuals did not know they were using fentanyl.
Fentanyl is not the only danger
Additional synthetic substances are also hitting the streets, including those more potent than fentanyl. For instance, carfentanil is reportedly 100 times stronger than fentanyl, which, as you might suspect, can increase the danger of overdoses even more. Some synthetic substances may even be used on the streets as substitutions for other products like Oxycontin or Xanax.
Why is this bad for you?
If authorities suspect you of drug dealing, you already face a serious predicament. However, if the substance they suspect you of selling caused an overdose due to it having fentanyl or another potent substance mixed with it, authorities could potentially hold you liable for that negative outcome as the suspected dealer. Of course, you may not even have known that the substance was cut with another drug.
When facing this type of complicated legal situation, it is wise to understand your legal options. Therefore, you may want to enlist the help of a Florida criminal defense attorney who can review the details of your case and help you work toward the best possible outcome.