Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016
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It is illegal throughout the United States to traffic, sell, or possess heroin and other opiates. States write and enforce illicit drug laws, which are typically complicated and sometimes carry mandatory minimum sentences, although the trend is moving toward doing away with these. Most states' marijuana laws have been loosened but laws regarding heroin laws (as with cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and other hard drugs) are quite severe.
According to Missouri heroin laws, any offense involving heroin is charged as a felony. Even simple possession is a Class C felony, which carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years (and no less than one year). However, first-time offenders who agree to complete a drug treatment program and other terms may be eligible for probation (the Missouri Treatment Courts page offers more information about the state's drug court program).
If you are convicted on charges of selling heroin, a Class B felony, you may be sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison. Trafficking (moving large quantities, often across state lines) or selling in a school zone is punishable by 10 to 30 years, or even life, in prison.
If you're a repeat offender, you are not eligible for probation and may face a Class A felony charge (§195.295).
The main provisions of Missouri's heroin laws are summarized in the following table. FindLaw's Drug Charges section contains additional articles and resources.
| Code Section | 195.010, et seq. |
| Possession | Class C felony; Subsequent offense: subject to prior & persistent offenders §195.295 |
| Sale | Class B felony; Subsequent offense: subject to prior & persistent offenders §195.295; Distribution to minor under 17 or 2 yrs. junior: Class B felony; Within 2000 ft. of school: Class A felony |
| Trafficking | Trafficking in 1st degree: Delivering, attempting to distribute or produce: 30-90 g.: Class A felony; Over 90 g.: Class A felony, term without parole; Trafficking in 2nd degree: Possessing, buying, attempting to buy: 30-90 g.: Class B felony; Over 90 g.: Class A felony |
Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact a Missouri drug crime attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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