Drug Charges Lawyer in Brampton

A drug charge in Brampton can range from simple possession to trafficking or importing at Pearson Airport. The stakes range just as widely, from a diversion program to years in prison. Avi Baratz has defended people charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for more than 20 years. He knows how these cases are built, and where they can be challenged.

Drug Charges We Defend in Brampton and Peel Region

Most drug offences are prosecuted under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Common charges include:

• Possession: having a controlled substance such as cocaine, fentanyl, MDMA or methamphetamine.
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking: possession with an alleged intent to sell or distribute.
• Trafficking: selling, giving, transporting or offering a drug, including offering a substance held out to be a drug.
• Importing and exporting: bringing drugs into or out of Canada, often at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
• Production: growing or manufacturing a controlled substance.
• Cannabis offences: cannabis is legal for adults within limits, but selling outside the licensed system and possessing over the legal limit remain offences under the Cannabis Act.

Drug Cases From Pearson Airport

Toronto Pearson sits in Mississauga, inside Peel Region. Importing and exporting cases from the airport are prosecuted in Brampton, at the A. Grenville & William Davis Courthouse, 7755 Hurontario Street. These investigations usually begin with the Canada Border Services Agency and can involve the RCMP or Peel Regional Police.

Importing is among the most serious drug offences, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Border searches follow different rules than searches inside Canada. But detention, questioning and searches of phones and luggage must still respect your Charter rights, and the Crown must prove you knew the drugs were there.

Who Prosecutes Drug Charges

Most drug charges are prosecuted by federal Crown prosecutors from the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, not the provincial Crown who handles other criminal charges. If you also face Criminal Code charges, such as weapons or proceeds of crime, both prosecutors may be involved in your case.

Possession vs. Trafficking: Why the Charge Matters

The gap between possession and possession for the purpose of trafficking is often the most important issue in a drug case. Police may point to the quantity of drugs, how they were packaged, scales, cash, or messages on a phone. Each of these can have an innocent explanation, and each is open to challenge.

For simple possession, the CDSA now directs police and prosecutors to consider warnings, referrals to treatment, or diversion before laying or continuing a charge. Many first-time possession cases can be resolved without a criminal record.

How We Defend Drug Charges

Drug cases are often won or lost on how police found the evidence. We review the disclosure for issues such as:

• whether the search of your car, home, phone or person was lawful, and whether any warrant was properly obtained
• whether a tip from an informant was reliable enough to justify the search
• whether you actually knew about and controlled the drugs, especially when they were found in a shared car or home
• whether the chain of custody and lab analysis are reliable
• whether the evidence supports trafficking rather than personal use
• whether you were told about your right to a lawyer and allowed to speak with one

When police breach the Charter, a judge can exclude the evidence. In a drug case, that can mean the Crown has no case left to prove.

Penalties and Consequences

Penalties depend on the drug, the amount, the activity alleged and your record. Outcomes can range from a withdrawal, diversion or discharge to a conditional sentence or jail for serious trafficking and importing. A conviction can also bring a weapons prohibition, forfeiture of cash or property, travel restrictions, and serious consequences for anyone who is not a Canadian citizen.

Contact a Brampton Drug Charges Lawyer

If you have been charged with possession, trafficking, importing or another drug offence in Brampton, Mississauga or at Pearson Airport, contact Baratz Law for a confidential consultation. Call 416-937-3777 or email avi@baratzlaw.com. We are available 24 hours a day.