Drug Charges Lawyer in Calabasas, CA. There are a wide variety of drug laws you can be charged with breaking in Calabasas, CA. It's possible for what could be a simple possession charge to be elevated into possession for sale or even trafficking. These laws regulate substances from prescription medications to heroin. The fallout from a drug crime conviction can turn your world upside down.

Get help before it's too late. You need Calabasas, CA's leading criminal defense law firm defending your rights. You need the Law Offices of David S. Chesley.

Our local Calabasas drug charges lawyers are ready for your case today. We will explore possible defenses, identify weaknesses in the prosecution's case, and fight for the best deal or other outcome in your case. To begin fighting the charges, reach out to our team at (800) 755-5174 or use our contact form now.

Calabasas, CA, Drug Charges Lawyer: Page Summary

In this article, we will go over what a Calabasas, CA, drug charges attorney can do to defend you, the types of substances considered illegal in Calabasas, the key factors you want your defense team to have, strategies we may use in your case, and more.

If you want to read about a particular topic, click on the appropriate link in the following menu to navigate to a specific topic and learn more:

Get Help From a Calabasas, CA, Drug Charges Lawyer IMMEDIATELY

Drug charges in Calabasas, CA, always need to be taken seriously. There can be leeway in what the prosecution decides to charge you with, meaning you can always face felony consequences.

The first reason you should work with a drug charges lawyer right away is to explain the charges. A simple possession case looks very different from a drug manufacturing case, and your defense attorney should understand how to defend each.

The second reason to get in touch with a local Calabasas, CA, drug charges lawyer right away is to protect yourself from mistakes. If you say something incorrect in an interrogation, what was once just a possession charge could now be a trafficking charge. Your defense attorney can stop you from experiencing self-incrimination.

Lastly, your drug charges attorney will give you access to expertise and relationships you wouldn't otherwise have. Acting fast prevents the state from getting a lead on you, and can even give you a better chance of having the court dismiss charges if the evidence is in your favor.

Calabasas, CA, Drug Types and Their Penalties:

When you work with a Calabasas, CA, drug charges lawyer, you want someone who can defend charges related to the specific kind of drug in the allegations. In the following section, you can read about what types of drugs we most frequently defend charges for in Calabasas, CA.

Drug TypeDescription
Prescription DrugsCharges often revolve around having a technically legal drug without permission, or selling it to someone you aren't supposed to.
EcstacyA synthetic drug closely related to methamphetamine. A stimulant often used at parties.
CocaineA highly addictive drug that can be either a powdered form or a solid rock (Crack) Long term use can dampen the brain's reward pathway.
MethamphetamineA stimulant known to affect people's energy levels and emotional stability.
OpioidsA class of drugs, including both natural and synthetic types. These include morphine, oxycodone, and heroin.
HeroinA very addictive substance, and one of the most dangerous opioids. The state tends to impose harsh penalties in heroin cases.
FentanylAn extremely dangerous type of opioid — roughly 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the DEA.

Penalties vary significantly based on the type of drug, quantity, your criminal record, and the act you're being accused of. As an overview:

  • As long as you are only accused of simple possession, you can typically expect misdemeanor charges. These carry a maximum jail sentence of one year. However, keep in mind misdemeanor charges aren't a guarantee, and prosecutors treat some substances more harshly than others.
  • Possession for sale, sale, transport, or manufacturing are rarely treated as misdemeanors. They're often felonies, with sentencing ranges that depend heavily on the specific drug and quantity involved.
  • Fentanyl is treated extra seriously: Proposition 36 (2024) created a list of drugs, including fentanyl, which can trigger felony enhancement if possessed along with a loaded firearm.
  • Federal charges carry their own, generally harsher, sentencing structure.

Every case is unique, and it can be hard to find answers on your own — call us for a free case review and we'll help you find a strategy to minimize negative consequences.

Marijuana in Calabasas, CA

Marijuana Description: Marijuana is a mind-altering substance derived from a plant leaf. Smoking marijuana used to be illegal in California, but in 2016 the state passed Proposition 64, allowing it in recreational circumstances.

Since local laws allow for limited use, marijuana (AKA cannabis) accusations in Calabasas, CA, most often often revolve around who was using it and whether that person was exceeding legal limits. For example, driving with an open package of marijuana is illegal, even if you are sober.

Marijuana Legal Overview:

  • Legal in limited quantities for adults 21 and older
  • Generally, it is legal to grow up to six marijuana plants for personal use
  • Federal law still makes marijuana usage illegal.

How Your Calabasas, CA, Drug Charges Lawyer Can Help: If you're facing marijuana-related charges, our attorneys will fight to defend you. For example, we can show the legality of your ownership, show that you did not violate any regulations, and/or show that it was properly handled at all times.

Different Types of Drug Charges in Calabasas, CA

The Law Offices of David S. Chesley defends a wide variety of drug charges in Calabasas, CA. We help defendants fight against all kinds of drug crime allegations. In the sections below, you can learn about different categories of drug crimes and what a lawyer can do to assist you.

Drug Possession/Use Charges

Possession charges are the first level of drug charges in Calabasas, CA. They cover a wide range of substances and these charges can apply in any circumstance where you allegedly owned the illegal drugs, even if you didn't have them physically with you at the time.

Your Calabasas, CA, drug charges lawyer can help by arguing that the drugs were not actually yours, and can protect your freedom through diversionary programs, if applicable.

Relevant statutes: Simple possession of most hard drugs falls under Health and Safety Code 11350, while possession of methamphetamine has its own specific statute in HS 11377. Generally, these possession charges are handled as misdemeanors.

Drug Production/Transport/Distribution Charges

While drug possession and use charges target the buyer, drug production, transportation, and distribution charges target the seller.

These charges are almost always treated more harshly than possession/use charges. On top of fighting the charges, your drug defense attorney can help you explore plea deals, if they make sense for your case.

Relevant statutes: The two main possession for sale charges you will see in Calabasas, CA, are HS 11351 (for most substances) and HS 11378 (specifically for methamphetamine). As a straight felony, each is punishable by two, three, or four years in state prison and fines up to $20,000. Sale and transportation for sale charges are divided in a similar way: HS 11352 (most substances) vs. HS 11379 (methamphetamine). These charges carry longer exposure — up to nine years if the transportation crosses non-contiguous counties. A drug charges laywer who can negotiate your charges down is essential, if you want to become eligible for common diversion programs like PC 1000 or Proposition 36.

Drug Charge Enhancements

California's drug charge enhancement laws cover a variety of situations, but one thing connects them together: They don't stand on their own. In order to be charged with an enhancement, there also needs to be an underlying base charge.

It's even more important to hire an experienced Calabasas, CA, drug crimes lawyer to defend you in these cases, so that they can fight both the base charge and the enhancement.

Federal Drug Charges

A federal drug charge could fall into any of the three categories above. What sets these apart is that the U.S. government is prosecuting you, not just the Calabasas district attorney.

These can include anything from manufacturing to drug smuggling, but to get the attention of the federal government, it typically will involve large quantities and/or crossing state lines. If you're accused of this, you're up against truly severe penalties, such as a life sentence and substantial fines.

It's hard to think of many charges worse to face than this. And you need a an experienced criminal defense lawyer who's prepared to match the United States government. Our team of attorneys will learn your side of the story, research applicable laws, dissect the case against you, and do whatever we can to secure a favorable result for your case.

🚔 Understanding California Cannabis Laws: Key Points to RememberVideo: Law Offices of David ChesleyWatch on YouTube

Calabasas, CA Drug Charges and DUIs

There isn't one single law that completely covers DUIs involving illegal substances. Drug DUI defense cases cover a many different circumstances, including everything from driving while high on marijuana to operating a motor vehicle while impaired by prescribed medication. One aspect that sets these cases apart is that you can be taken into custody if there is any amount of THC in your system while driving (as opposed to alcoholwhich has a legal limit).

When accused of this type of charge, you need more than a drug charges lawyer. You also need a leading Calabasas, CA, DUI defense lawyer who defend you both in criminal court and at the DMV hearing. Contact a lawyer right away — in most cases, you need to request a hearing within ten days of your arrest.

What to Look For in a Drug Charges Lawyer

When picking a drug charges lawyer in Calabasas, CA, to take your case, it can feel impossible trying to decide who will best represent you. Your life may depend on it, after all.

Here are the top factors you want to see in your drug crimes defense attorney:

  • Extensive Experience fighting these cases in court
  • Knowledge of how the district attorney approaches these cases
  • A Track Record of Success against the state for these charges
  • Availability Anytime in case an emergency occurs and you need help

We don't make false promises about your case, and you can talk to us 24/7 if you have any questions or concerns.

Powerful Drug Crime Accusation Defenses

Whatever law you're accused of breaking, you have your own unique story to tell. Everyone in the Calabasas, CA, criminal courts is there under different circumstances, and you should have a customized defense plan to match.

While we use some common base strategies, we'll build your defense out to fit your unique circumstances. Below are some powerful strategies your drug charges lawyer will consider:

  • Illegal Search and Seizure: If the police searched you, your vehicle, or your dwelling without either probable cause or a warrant, that evidence can be thrown out.
  • Lack of Intent: Most laws surrounding drugs only make it a crime if you intend to break them.
  • Somone Else's Drugs: If the substance in question was, in fact, illegal, but belonged to another person, you shouldn't face possession charges.
  • Entrapment: In rare cases, if an undercover police officer coerced you into violating the law, you cannot be held liable for doing so.
  • Prescription: These defenses hinge on your medical status, and if a doctor prescribed you a given substance.
  • Plea Negotiations: Plea negotiations not only reduce the level of charges you're facing, but can also open up diversion avenues.

If someone's accused you of a drug crime in Calabasas, CA, call one of our lawyers for immediate help.

If you're facing drug crime charges in Calabasas, CA, and need help, contact one of our attorneys for immediate help.

Calabasas, CA, Drug Charge Diversion Options:

Calabasas has diversion and treatment options available — be sure to ask your Calabasas, CA, drug charges lawyer about whether or not they apply to your case. To qualify, defendants must fit certain criteria. Below are two of the most relevant programs:

PC 1000 Drug Diversion

California PC 1000 pretrial diversion is a pretrial diversion path for specified eligible charges and people under Penal Code §§ 1000–1000.1. The present process begins with a not-guilty plea and court-approved education or treatment conditions, rather than the former guilty-plea Deferred Entry of Judgment procedure. After satisfactory completion, a positive program recommendation and the required motion, the court dismisses the eligible charge within the statutory period. The actual order and Penal Code § 1000.4 control arrest-record effects and exceptions; enrollment alone does not promise dismissal or erase every consequence. For related context, see collateral consequences.

Proposition 36 (2024)

Proposition 36, which took effect in December 2024, changed California's approach to repeat drug offenses. It's important to understand that this is a different, newer law than the Proposition 36 passed in 2000, and it works differently than a traditional diversion program.

A 2024 Health and Safety Code § 11395 treatment-mandated felony allegation requires a qualifying current possession offense involving a listed drug and at least two prior convictions for the statutes enumerated in § 11395(c). Those priors must be alleged in the accusatory pleading and admitted in open court or found true. Two unspecified “drug convictions” do not establish eligibility or felony exposure. A person electing the treatment path pleads guilty or no contest, admits qualifying priors and has judgment deferred during an individualized court-approved program.

While this doesn't automatically keep people out of jail, it creates a choice: complete court-mandated treatment, and the underlying drug charge case is dropped (the arrest record will remain, but is sealed); if you don't take this option, you'll have to fight the felony charge, including up to three years in custody. 2024's Proposition 36 also increased sentencing exposure tied to drug quantity for certain substances and updated the list of drugs that trigger firearm-related enhancements to include fentanyl.

Your Calabasas, CA, drug charges lawyer can help you understand whether you qualify for legal alternatives, advocate for that path where it's available, and come up with a strategy that maximizes your chances of a positive outcome.

How a Drug Conviction in Calabasas, CA, Affects Immigration Status

For immigrants in Calabasas, CA, a drug conviction can be far more damaging than the criminal penalty alone — and this is an area where our firm's dual criminal defense and immigration practice gives clients a real advantage.

The federal government can initiate removal proceedings for most drug convictions, with one specific exception: marijuana charges for no more than 30 grams of the substance, and only intended it for person use, not sale. This applies to lawful permanent residents ("green card" holders) as well as visa holders, and it applies even if you weren't given jail time on your conviction.

Important factors to be aware of:

  • Simple possession for personal use (for most substances) is generally a deportable offense, but is not automatically classified as an "aggravated felony" — meaning that you likely won't lose access to certain modes of immigration relief.
  • Possession for sale, sale, or trafficking convictions are significantly more serious. They are often considered aggravated felonies, which can trigger mandatory deportation with little to no opportunity for relief or future re-entry.
  • How a charge is pleaded matters enormously. Under Padilla v. Kentucky, defense counsel is required to tell you about these immigration consequences before you make a plea. Our firm works hard to find outcomes — such as a plea to a non-drug offense, or a disposition that avoids specific "aggravated felony" language — that defends your legal status in the country, as well as your criminal record.

Because a criminal record can bring immigration consequences regardless of the sentence, it's important to avoid mistakes from the very start of your case. If you are a non-citizen fighting a drug crime allegation, tell your attorney immediately — this materially changes how your case should be defended.

Drug Charge Frequently Asked Questions

If my drug charges are dismissed, can anyone still see them?

The 2024 § 11395 process is not an automatic substitute for custody or a guaranteed sealed record. A person may elect the statutory treatment path if the charge and priors qualify; after successful completion, a positive program recommendation and the required motion, the court shall dismiss the charge. Section 11395(d)(3) applies the stated Penal Code § 1000.4 arrest-record protections, including exceptions; a separate sealing order is permissive, not automatic. If treatment is refused or fails, the court applies the statute’s hearing and sentencing rules to the actual case.

Do I have to talk to police if I'm caught with drugs?

No. You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. Politely decline to answer questions beyond identifying yourself, and ask for an attorney right away — making a mistake early on can cause major consequences down the line.

Can I expunge a previous drug conviction in Calabasas, CA?

If you were given probation, you may be eligible for expungement under Penal Code 1203.4, though whether or not you are eligible can be affected by the specific charge and your previous conviction record. An expungement does not erase a conviction for federal immigration purposes, which is why non-citizens need to work with an experienced drug crimes attorney who also practices immigration law.

What's the difference between PC 1000 and Proposition 36 diversion?

PC 1000 is available for qualifying first-time or low-level possession offenses and leads to dismissal after completing education and testing requirements. If you have previous drug-charge convictions on your record, you're more likely to be eligible for Proposition 36 (2024): This would be a felony charge, but offers a court-supervised treatment program to have the case dismissed. To learn more about how to explore these paths, speak to an attorney today.

Is a first-time drug possession charge a felony in Calabasas, CA?

It's rare for first-time possession cases to be charged as a felony in Calabasas, CA — they're typically treated as misdemeanors. This isn't true for every drug charge in Calabasas, though: More serious allegations like distribution are normally treated as a felony regardless of whether this is your first time being charged or not.

Talk to a Drug Charges Defense Lawyer in Calabasas, CA, Today

You need help from experts in defending against drug charges Your freedom is important, and it depends on picking the right law firm. Fortunately, we're here to help.

The Calabasas, CA, drug charges lawyers at the Law Offices of David S. Chesley have experience defending against countless drug crime accusations. We are prepared to defend you against a variety of drug charges, both misdemeanor and felony. We will build a strong defense for you against your charges.

We also aid with the following legal services in Calabasas, CA:

Get in touch with your Calabasas drug defense attorney now at (800) 755-5174 or contact us online to schedule a free review of your case.

Drug Charges Our Lawyers Fight in Calabasas, CA:

Reading the charge and the two drug-treatment laws

The complaint and citation matter more than a broad label such as “drug crime.” Simple possession under Health and Safety Code § 11350 or § 11377, being under the influence under § 11550, possession for sale under § 11351 or § 11378, and transportation for sale under § 11352 or § 11379 require different proof. If police found an item in a shared car or room, the government still has to prove knowing control of the charged substance; shared access alone neither proves nor defeats possession. If a sale allegation appears, ask what evidence supports intent to sell beyond the amount. If a transportation allegation appears, the current statutes require transportation for sale. Keep the complaint, release conditions, any search inventory and later lab result together so counsel can compare what was first alleged with what was actually filed.

PC 1000 today is pretrial diversion, not a present-day guilty-plea “Deferred Entry of Judgment” procedure. Penal Code § 1000 lists eligible offenses and history/charge conditions. Section 1000.1 says the defendant pleads not guilty, waives specified speedy-hearing and trial rights, and may enter a court-approved education or treatment program. The court dismisses an eligible charge after successful completion, a positive recommendation and the required motion within the statutory timing. Enrollment alone does not dismiss the case. Some court pages still use the older DEJ shorthand; the actual statutory procedure and signed order control. Section 1000.4 defines the qualified arrest-record effect and exceptions, including licensing and law-enforcement contexts. It permits, rather than automatically issues, a sealing order.

The 2024 Proposition 36 is different from the 2000 Proposition 36 treatment measure. The newer measure added Health and Safety Code § 11395, a treatment-mandated felony process for specified possession offenses and substances. Two prior convictions are relevant only if they are among the statutes listed in § 11395(c), are alleged in the charging paper, and are admitted or found true. A person who elects the statutory treatment path pleads guilty or no contest and admits qualifying priors, with judgment deferred while treatment proceeds. After successful completion, a positive recommendation and the specified motion, the court dismisses the charge and applies the arrest protections the law identifies. This is not automatic eligibility for anyone with “two drug priors,” and it should not be confused with current PC 1000. The old and new Proposition 36 paths have different plea and record consequences.

The defense review should match the charge to evidence: source and custody of any substance, laboratory identification, who controlled the location, statements and recordings, alleged sale indicators, search authority, and prior-conviction documents. A person considering treatment should ask about program length, cost, attendance, testing, consequences of noncompletion and whether the actual case qualifies. A noncitizen should obtain criminal and immigration advice before any admission or plea; a California dismissal does not answer every federal question. If professional licensing, employment, or a driving allegation also matters, raise it at the start rather than relying on a generic promise that a drug case will leave “no record.”

Evidence questions to bring to the first case review

Write a private timeline of the stop, search and arrest while details are fresh. Note who could access the vehicle, room, bag or device; where each item was located; what the officer said was observed; and whether a search warrant, claimed consent or other asserted authority appears in the report. Keep a copy of lawful prescription records, relevant messages, treatment documentation and any witness names for counsel. Do not ask others to coordinate stories or delete material. The defense may need to compare body-camera footage, dispatch records, laboratory notes and chain-of-custody records with the filed charge rather than relying on the arrest summary alone.

If the accusation is possession for sale, ask which facts are alleged to show intent to sell and whether the prosecution can actually link those facts to the accused person. Packaging, cash or phone messages can have more than one explanation; they do not replace proof of the statutory elements. If the accusation is transportation for sale, ask what supports the for-sale purpose rather than assuming any travel with a substance meets the charge. A manufacturing or cultivation count needs its own process, equipment, plant-count and control analysis. A firearm, school-zone, jail-entry or fentanyl enhancement must be identified separately in the papers and supported by the additional facts its statute requires. That distinction keeps a serious enhancement from being treated as an automatic consequence of the base drug count.

Finally, keep court and administrative papers separate. A possession citation is not itself a drug-impaired-driving charge. If officers also allege driving under the influence, review the vehicle-law count, test timeline and any DMV notice with counsel as distinct deadlines. If a case is dismissed or completed through diversion, request the final minute order and ask what record relief actually follows. The court’s order, not a generic online success story, determines the next administrative step.