Tennessee is Cracking Down on Meth Distribution and Sales

It is no secret that our country is in the grip of an opioid epidemic. Stories about opioid-related overdoses are all over the news. In Tennessee, however, we are facing another battle – one against the use, manufacturing, distribution, and sale of methamphetamines.

WKRN discussed this in a recent article, calling it the “madness of meth’s comeback in Tennessee.” Writer Elbert Tucker noted that, in 2020, methamphetamines were the most-submitted drug to Tennessee crime labs. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director David Rausch elaborated, “Drug addiction continues to be a major issue in Tennessee, and I believe this sharp increase in methamphetamine has a connection to our state’s ongoing opioid epidemic.”

Meth busts across Tennessee continue

While law enforcement continues to crack down on meth manufacturers and dealers and publicize their efforts, my opinion is that law enforcement has not been effecting in stemming meth addiction and abuse. Meth cases in many courts in Tennessee are not uncommon. While high profile cases garner press attention, as set forth below, smaller cases do not.  Some larger recent drug seizures and arrests include:

• A February 2022 drug bust in Gibson County resulted in confiscation of 30 pounds of methamphetamines
• A $13M bust involving nearly a ton of meth with ties to East Tennessee in March 2020
• Thirteen arrested for a meth and fentanyl operation in Dickson and Hickman Counties in January 2023

What is meth?

Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive drug. Those who try meth can get hooked after their first use, and once addicted, it’s extremely difficult to get off the drug. The ingredients used to make meth include toxic chemicals that permanently damage the body. Meth affects the user, the user’s family and society. Meth’s impact is serious: it can cause irreversible and serious damage to the body, send parents to jail and their kids placed in foster homes. Meth causes environmental damage from toxic chemicals in homes and communities where it is made.

Our Nashville criminal defense attorneys can advocate on your behalf if you are facing criminal charges for drug possession or distribution.

What are the charges for methamphetamine distribution?

Meth and crystal meth are Schedule II controlled substances. The more serious drug charges with methamphetamines involve manufacturing, delivery (distribution), sale or possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver meth. The penalty is determined by how much the individual has:

• Possession of 0.5 grams or more is a Class B felony, and the fine can be up to $100,000. Class B felonies carry a potential prison sentence of 8 to 30 years.
• Possession of fewer than 0.5 grams is a Class C felony, and the fine can be up to $100,000. Class C felonies carry a 3 to 15-year potential prison sentence.
• Possession of any amount by a person who “carried or employed a deadly weapon… during commission of the offense or the offense resulted in death or bodily injury to another person” is automatically a Class B Felony.
• Possession of 26 grams up to 300 grams is a Class B felony, and the fine can be up to $200,000.
• Possession of 300 grams or more is a Class A felony, and the fine can be up to $500,000. You may be sentenced to prison for anywhere between 15 and 60 years.

Tennessee law also states that if you are convicted of manufacturing meth, there is a very long mandatory prison sentence, and that you must stay in prison for 100% of that sentence.

If you have been charged with a drug crime in Tennessee, your future is on the line. Nashville criminal defense attorney Perry Craft can help. To learn more about our services, or to schedule an appointment, please call our office or fill out our contact form today.

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