Small mistakes by college students can lead to lasting challenges. There are many ways for college students to violate drug laws. Many young adults experiment while they are at college. They try recreational drugs at parties and may end up arrested as a result.
Others may end up accused of violating controlled substances laws with prescription medication. There is always demand for certain medications, including pain medications, sleep aids and even attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs. Some students might resell their medication to others. Both the people selling their medication and the students purchasing it for recreation or study purposes could be at risk of drug charges.
Many students who dabble in questionable choices evade detection, but some college students get arrested every year for drug crimes. Students enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) or Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) need to understand the implications of pending drug charges.
Drug offenses carry major penalties
The nature of the offense determines what penalties a student might face in criminal court. Simple possession offenses are the least severe charges. A student convicted of possession of a small amount of lower-concern drugs could face fines, up to a year of jail or probation. The penalties only worsen from there.
The student also has to worry about a criminal record and how their sentence might affect their ability to continue attending class. Fighting drug charges can help students avoid criminal penalties and a record that could affect them for years to come.
On-campus discipline may also occur
In addition to facing criminal consequences, students accused of drug offenses might also face discipline at the school itself. Both FSW and FGCU have student codes of conduct that they enforce. A conviction for a drug offense or credible allegations on campus without a conviction could lead to disciplinary hearings.
Students facing disciplinary action on campus are at risk of losing certain types of financial aid. The school could revoke their enrollment or prevent them from participating in extracurricular activities. They may even become ineligible for on-campus housing.
Thankfully, students facing on-campus discipline for drug-related issues have the right to hire a lawyer to advocate for them throughout that process. The same lawyer can assist students dealing with on-campus consequences and criminal charges.
Students should not expect lenient treatment because they are young or enrolled in college. They need to respond assertively if they don’t want a simple mistake to permanently alter the course of their lives. Fighting pending drug charges can be one of the best decisions that FGCU or FSW students could make after getting arrested.