Cocaine is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance in Mississippi, which means lawmakers have determined that the drug is highly addictive but has some legitimate medical uses. The penalties for possessing, distributing and trafficking Schedule I and II drugs are severe in Mississippi, and even first-time offenders can be sent to jail for a year for possessing small quantities of cocaine. Even selling items that are used to consume drugs can lead to a jail sentence in Mississippi. Individuals who sell crack pipes can be sent to jail for up to six months and fined up to $500. If an adult sells drug paraphernalia to a minor, those maximum penalties are doubled.
Cocaine possession penalties in Mississippi
The penalties faced by individuals charged with cocaine possession in Mississippi are determined by the amount of the drug recovered by law enforcement. Possessing less than 0.1 grams of cocaine is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The maximum custodial sentence increases to three years and the maximum fine increases to $50,000 when individuals are charged with possessing between 0.1 and 2 grams of cocaine, and possessing between 2 and 10 grams of the drug is punishable by up to eight years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The penalties for possessing between 10 and 30 grams of cocaine are even more severe. These defendants can be sent to prison for up to 20 years and ordered to pay fines of up to $500,000.
Cocaine distribution penalties in Mississippi
Individuals found in possession of two or more grams of cocaine can be charged with distributing a Schedule II controlled substance in Mississippi, but this rarely happens unless law enforcement recovers large quantities of the drug or evidence of narcotics dealing like scales, plastic bags or large amounts of cash. Individuals charged with distributing less than 2 grams of cocaine can be sent to prison for up to eight years, but the maximum sentence increases to 20 years when police recover between 2 and 10 grams of the drug and 30 years when more than 10 grams of cocaine is recovered. Individuals found in possession of more than 30 grams of cocaine can be charged with drug trafficking in Mississippi. The maximum penalty for this drug crime is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Plea agreements
Few drug offenders in Mississippi receive the maximum penalties allowed by law because prosecutors usually offer significant sentencing concessions to encourage defendants to accept plea offers. Prosecutors do this because they are judged on their conviction rates, and arguing the facts of a drug case before a jury always involves a degree of risk.