Penalties for conspiracy to supply cannabis
As cannabis is a class B drug, conspiracy to supply cannabis can be prosecuted in either Magistrates’ Court or Crown Court, depending on the circumstances.
The minimum sentence for conspiracy to supply cannabis in Magistrates’ Court is:
- A fine of up to £5,000 and/or
- Up to 6 months’ imprisonment
The maximum sentence for conspiracy to supply cannabis in Crown Court is:
- An unlimited fine and/or
- Up to 14 years imprisonment
If found guilty of conspiracy to supply cannabis, you could also face:
A Restraint Order – meaning you can only access your assets as required to cover your basic living costs.
Confiscation Proceedings – which allow the state to recover the proceeds of any criminal activity of which you have been found guilty.
If you are found guilty of conspiracy to supply cannabis, various factors will influence the sentence you receive, including:
- The quantity and value of the cannabis
- Whether you plead guilty and, if so, at what stage of proceedings
- Your role within the conspiracy
- Your awareness/understanding of the conspiracy
- The length of time over which you were involved in the conspiracy
- Any previous convictions you have received
- Whether you were pressured, intimidated or otherwise coerced to take part in the conspiracy
Funding your defence against conspiracy to supply cannabis charges
Police station representation
Everyone is entitled to free legal advice when arrested or interviewed under caution, whether at a police station, customs, the National Crime Agency (NCA) or any other place of detention. This funding is not means tested.
You are free to either use the available duty solicitor or choose your own legal representation. With serious and complex charges, such as conspiracy to supply cannabis, we strongly recommend choosing representation from our specialist drug conspiracy solicitors right from the interview stage.
Having our expertise from the outset can ensure your case is handled the right way at every stage of proceedings and that no mistakes are made or key opportunities missed by those without specific experience in these types of charges.
Legal aid for drug conspiracy proceedings
If you case goes to court, you may be eligible for a Representation Order from the Criminal Defence service (commonly known as ‘legal aid’). This can cover some or all of the cost of your defence against drug conspiracy charges.
For Magistrates’ Court proceedings, you will need to take both a means test and a merit test to determine what, if any, legal aid you qualify for. The means test will determine how much financial assistance you need to fund your defence. The merit test will show whether funding your legal defence is “in the Interests of Justice”.
For Crown Court proceedings, legal aid usually only covers part of your defence costs, so you will usually need to provide the rest yourself. However, anything you pay towards your defence costs for a Crown Court drug conspiracy prosecution will be refunded with interest if you are found not guilty.
Why choose our drug conspiracy defence lawyers?
Conspiracy Solicitor is a trading style of Bird and Co Solicitors LLP, a leading East Midlands law firm with more than 30 years’ experience representing clients all over England and Wales.
Our criminal defence lawyers offer over 200 years of combined experience, including particular expertise handling conspiracy to supply cannabis charges.
We understand what a confusing and intimidating situation this can be, especially if you have been caught up in a drug conspiracy charge through no fault of your own.
Our lawyers can offer the clear, empathetic legal advice and support you need to cut through the confusion and give you the strongest possible legal defence. Our expertise in conspiracy to supply drugs charges means we know exactly what to look for, so we can ensure no detail is missed and every possible angle of defence is explored.
How to secure representation by our specialist drug conspiracy defence lawyers
Have you been granted a Representation Order to cover the cost of your legal defence? If not, you can simply get in touch and we will be happy to discuss representing you.
If you have already been represented by another law firm using Legal Aid funding, you may be able to transfer your case to us and keep your Legal Aid funding, depending on the circumstances.
Take a look at our guide to transferring your case to Conspiracy Solicitors to find out more.
Contact drug conspiracy solicitors now
To get in touch with our team of expert criminal defence solicitors and dedicated drug crime defence lawyers, you can use our simple contact form to request a call back or contact us us on one of the following numbers:
- Call 0333 009 5968 – for standard enquiries during office hours
- WhatsApp 07535 215140 – for 24/7 emergency support including police station representation
