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State Drug Laws for the 90's: Executive Summary

NCJ Number
157859
Date Published
1991
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This document presents and explains three types of model drug laws recommended for adoption by State and local policymakers to control drug abuse by addressing both demand and supply.
Abstract
The recommended laws target those trafficking in large quantities of the most dangerous controlled drugs; target drug kingpins, money launderers, and drug money; forfeit property use in or acquired through drug dealing; target drug traffickers who exploit juvenile or who deal their drugs near schools and playgrounds; and hold users accountable. The Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1990 was developed a task force of prosecutors and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws to be consistent with the National Drug Control Strategy. It prohibits the knowing receipt or transfer of drug proceeds, imposes minimum mandatory sentences for serious drug crimes, criminalizes attempts to sell or buy drugs, promotes user accountability, provides alternatives to incarceration for first-time offenders, and provides adequate funding for education and treatment services. The Model Asset Seizure and Forfeiture Act of 1991 blends traditional and modern approaches to forfeiture from both the Federal and State levels. User accountability is promoted through the Model Denial of Federal Benefits Act of 1991 and license suspension laws. The Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act of 1988 focuses on precursor chemicals; six States are working actively to curb the entry of precursor and essential chemicals into the United States.