When people in Nebraska find themselves faced with a drug-related criminal charge, they might be surprised to learn that no actual drug substance might be involved. Instead, a drug charge might relate to what is referred to as drug paraphernalia. This category of items can be quite broad and even include many everyday household items. Understanding the types of things that law enforcement teams and prosecutors might point to as drug paraphernalia is important.
As explained by Northpoint Recovery, a substance addiction treatment facility, an item alleged to be drug paraphernalia may be involved in any aspect of a drug's journey from inception to use. This include all forms of use like ingestion, inhaling, injecting and more. It may also said to be involved in making a drug and the terms related to this might include compounding, manufacturing, processing, preparing, producing or converting.
According to American Addiction Centers, another treatment provider, drug paraphernalia might include things classically linked to drug use like rolling papers or hypodermic needles. However, many items called paraphernalia within the context of a criminal arrest for a drug charge are commonly found in most homes. These include drinking straws, shoelaces, bottle caps, cotton balls, spoons, aluminum foil, lighters, candles and more.
Because many of these things are so common, it might be difficult for people to understand how they can be linked to illegal activity. This is where the law may at times feel hard for defendants to navigate as other factors may well be brought into consideration in a case.