Can my Case be Diverted to the Alternative Measures Program for a Drug Charge?

Referral to the Alternative Measures Program for Drug Offences is a possible outcome, depending on the nature of the offence. Often if a person was charged with simple possession of marijuana (under 30g/ for personal use), it was common to have the charges withdrawn if you provide something back to the community in the form of community service or a charitable donation through the AMP program.

However, this is not always the case and is ultimately up to the Provincial Crown prosecutor on whether you are eligible for such a program.

For possession of more serious drugs (or at least considered more serious by the prosecutors), such as cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine, heroin and fentanyl, the sanctions increase while the chance of an early withdraw decrease. An experienced lawyer may be able to obtain a referral to AMP in charges such as these, even if the prosecutor has initially taken a position that you are not eligible.

Being charged with a drug crime in Alberta or elsewhere in Canada can result in a wide range of possibilities depending on the nature of the drug, the amount seized, whether the possession was for personal or commercial purpose and many other factors.

Trafficking, importation, cultivation, production, and commercial drug enterprises are all at the highest end of the scale of seriousness. For these sorts of charges, having the assistance of an experienced defence counsel can greatly increase your chances of not suffering the serious and often lengthy sentences that result from convictions. Although not common in practice, many of these categories of offences carry maximum sentences of life imprisonment and therefore should be treated with the highest degree of caution and prudence.