Drug Charges – Nashville Criminal Attorneys

Talk to a Tennessee Lawyer Now: (615) 829-8259

Facing a drug charge in Tennessee can put your freedom, record, and future at risk. A dedicated Nashville drug defense attorney can help you understand your options, protect your rights, and work to keep a conviction off your record whenever possible.​

Common defenses in Tennessee drug cases

An experienced Nashville drug defense attorney does far more than simply walk you into court. Depending on the facts, potential defenses may include:

• Challenging the stop, search, and seizure: If law enforcement violated your constitutional rights while stopping your vehicle, entering your home, or searching your person, key evidence can be suppressed and the case may be reduced or dismissed.​

• Disputing possession or knowledge: The State must prove you knowingly possessed the substance. If drugs were found in a shared car, home, or common area, your attorney can argue lack of control, lack of knowledge, or that the drugs belonged to someone else.​

• Attacking lab testing and chain of custody: Errors in how substances were collected, labeled, stored, or tested can create doubt about whether the substance was illegal or whether the State can prove its weight or schedule.​

• Raising lawful prescription or entrapment: In some cases, you may be able to show the drugs were lawfully prescribed or that law enforcement improperly induced the offense.​

A skilled Nashville drug defense attorney will carefully review the police reports, video, lab records, and your side of the story to identify the strongest defenses for your case.

Possible sentences for Tennessee drug convictions

The potential sentence in a Tennessee drug case depends on several factors, including the type and amount of the substance, whether the charge is simple possession or a felony (such as possession with intent, sale, or manufacture), and your prior record.​

• Simple possession or casual exchange of most controlled substances is generally charged as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and fines, along with mandatory assessments and potential license consequences in some situations.​

• Felony drug offenses—such as possession with intent, sale, or trafficking—are classified by drug schedule and quantity, with exposure ranging from 1–6 years for lower-level felonies up to decades in prison and very high fines for larger quantities or higher schedules.​

• Penalties can increase if there are prior felony convictions, firearms, alleged distribution to minors, or offenses in protected zones like schools or parks.​

A Nashville drug defense attorney can explain the exact sentencing range you are facing and work to reduce the charge, negotiate for lesser penalties, or seek alternatives to incarceration.

Diversion, drug court, and keeping a conviction off your record

In many Tennessee drug cases—especially for first-time or non-violent offenders—there may be ways to avoid a permanent conviction if you act quickly and meet certain eligibility requirements.​

• Pretrial or judicial diversion can allow eligible defendants to complete probation and conditions, then have the charge dismissed and potentially expunged from their record.​

• Drug court and other treatment-based programs focus on addressing addiction and providing structure and support, often in place of or in combination with jail time.​

An experienced Nashville drug defense attorney will evaluate whether you qualify for diversion or drug court, help you apply, and make sure your rights and future are protected throughout the process.

Why you should call a Nashville drug defense attorney now

Drug charges in Tennessee carry serious and often long-lasting consequences if you are convicted, including possible jail time, fines, probation, collateral consequences, and a criminal record that can affect jobs, housing, and schooling.​

• A knowledgeable Nashville drug defense attorney can analyze every aspect of your case—the stop, search, lab work, and your criminal history—to identify defenses, challenge the evidence, and pursue outcomes such as dismissal, reduction of charges, diversion, or treatment-based alternatives.​

• Our criminal defense team includes a former prosecutor and has handled hundreds of drug cases in Nashville and surrounding counties, giving you insight into how local courts approach these charges and what strategies can be most effective.​

If you are facing any drug charge in Nashville or the surrounding Middle Tennessee area, contact a Nashville drug defense attorney at Shipman & Crim today at (615) 829‑8259 to discuss the facts of your case, possible defenses, and whether you may qualify for diversion or other alternatives.

Tennessee Drug Laws / More Information

Simple Possession 

Possession with Intent 

Sale of a Controlled Substance