Section 18B Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985
Manufacture, Production, Possession and Supply of Certain Schedule 9 Substances

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Section 18B of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 is Manufacture, Production, Possession and Supply of Certain Schedule 9 Substances and is extracted below.

Possessing a Schedule 9 substance is an offence under section 18B(3) of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985, which carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison.

To establish the offence, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that:

  1. You possessed a substance, and
  2. The substance was a Schedule 9 substance under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966.

‘Schedule 9’ covers a wide range of substances, not being prohibited drugs, including those which:

  1. Are addiction producing or potentially addiction producing
  2. Are of such danger they can only be prescribed by medical practitioners, authorised nurses, midwives, authorised pharmacists, dentists or vets
  3. Therapeutic substances that require advice about dosage, frequency of administration or toxicity
  4. Poisonous substances commonly used for domestic purposes, and
  5. Substances readily available to the public for the destruction of pests.

You are not guilty of the offence if you possessed the item after it was manufactured, produced or supplied by a person or business:

  1. Who was licensed or authorised to do so by the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966, or
  2. Who was authorised to do so by the Secretary of the Ministry of Health

Duress is a defence to the charge.

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Supplying Schedule 9 substances is an offence under section 18B(2) of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985, which carries a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison.

To establish the offence, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that:

  1. You supplied or knowingly took part in the supply of a substance, and
  2. The substance was a Schedule 9 substance under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966.

‘Schedule 9’ covers a wide range of substances, not being prohibited drugs, including those which:

  1. Are addiction producing or potentially addiction producing
  2. Are of such danger they can only be prescribed by medical practitioners, authorised nurses, midwives, authorised pharmacists, dentists or vets
  3. Therapeutic substances that require advice about dosage, frequency of administration or toxicity
  4. Poisonous substances commonly used for domestic purposes, and
  5. Substances readily available to the public for the destruction of pests.

Knowingly taking part in supply includes:

  1. Taking or participating in any step, or causing any step to be taken, in the process of supply
  2. Providing or arranging finance for any such step, or
  3. Providing the premises in which any such step is taken, or suffering or permitting any such step to be taken in premises of which you are the owner, lessee, occupier or manager.

You are not guilty of the offence if:

  1. You were licensed or authorised under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 to supply the substance, or
  2. You acted in accordance with an authorisation by the Secretary of the Ministry of Health.

Duress is a defence to the charge.

 

 

 

If you would like an experienced drug defence lawyer to provide accurate advice and outstanding representation for your Manufacture, Production, Possession and Supply of Certain Schedule 9 Substances case, call Sydney Criminal Lawyers® today on (02) 9261 8881 for a free first appointment.

Our criminal lawyers are experts in defending drug charges and have a proven track record in obtaining superior results in all types of drug cases.

The Legislation

18B Manufacture, production, possession and supply of certain Schedule 9 substances

(1) A person who manufactures or produces, or who knowingly takes part in the manufacture or production of, a Schedule 9 substance (not being a prohibited drug within the meaning of this Act) is guilty of an offence.

(2) A person who supplies, or who knowingly takes part in the supply of, a Schedule 9 substance (not being a prohibited drug within the meaning of this Act) is guilty of an offence.

(3) A person who has in his or her possession a Schedule 9 substance (not being a prohibited drug within the meaning of this Act) is guilty of an offence.

Maximum penalty (subsection (3)): 20 penalty units or imprisonment for 12 months, or both.

(4) Nothing in this section renders unlawful the manufacture, production, possession or supply of a Schedule 9 substance (not being a prohibited drug) by–
(a) a person licensed or authorised to do so under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 , or
(b) a person in accordance with an authorisation given by the Secretary of the Ministry of Health under section 17D of that Act, or renders unlawful the taking part by any other person in the manufacture, production or supply of such a substance by a person to whom paragraph (a) or (b) applies or the possession of the substance by the other person for those purposes.

Why Choose Sydney Criminal Lawyers®?

Going to court can be nerve-racking, but having a strong and compassionate legal team behind you can make the experience significantly easier to deal with.

Here are 12 reasons to choose our multi-award winning legal team:

  1. Proven Track Record of Exceptional Results

    Sydney Criminal Lawyers® consistently achieves outcomes which are in the highest percentile of the Judicial Commission’s sentencing statistics for criminal cases.

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    We also consistently win appeals in the District and Supreme Courts (including the NSWCCA) after clients have received unsatisfactory results with other law firms in the lower courts.We are one of the few firms to achieve successful criminal law appeals in the High Court of Australia.

    Where our clients wish to plead guilty, we frequently achieve ‘dismissals’ and ‘non convictions’ in cases where other lawyers have advised there is no chance of doing so.

  2. Highest Level of Client Satisfaction

    We have the best and most comprehensive client review record of any law firm in Australia.

    Regular communication, accessibility and quality service are our team’s highest priorities.

    We are committed to thoroughly explaining all steps involved in the criminal law process, providing regular updates throughout the proceedings, and making ourselves accessible and responsive.

    We are passionate about providing an exceptional level of service to our clients, and we fight hard to achieve optimal results in the shortest period of time.

  3. Australia’s Most Awarded Criminal Law Firm

    We have received more awards and accolades than any other criminal law firm in Australia. Our team has been awarded “Criminal Defence Firm of the Year in Australia” in a number of prestigious and competitive awards programs for several years running.

    The awards recognise our exceptional track record of results, our outstanding client service, the high level of satisfaction we achieve, the affordability of our services and our overall excellence.

  4. Fixed Fees

    We want our clients to know exactly how much their cases will cost from the very start. That’s why we were the first criminal law firm in Australia to publish ‘fixed fees’, back in 2004.

    We offer fixed fees for most types of criminal cases and services.Our fixed fees apply to a range of Local Court cases such as drink driving, drug possession, fraud, common assault and AVOs, and also specific services such as prison visits, bail applications, appeals and defended hearings.

    Unlike many other law firms, our fixed fees are published on our website – which ensures transparency and certainty.

  5. Free First Appointment

    For those who are going to court, we offer a free first conference of up to an hour with one of our Senior Criminal Defence Lawyers.

    We also offer a free first conference to those who have received an unsatisfactory result after being represented in court by another law firm, or after representing themselves, and wish to appeal.

  6. Specialist Lawyer Guarantee

    We guarantee that only lawyers with substantial criminal defence experience will work on your case and appear for you in court.

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  7. All NSW Courts

    From Bombala to Broken Hill, our lawyers appear in courts throughout New South Wales – and across Australia for Commonwealth cases.

    And we offer fixed fees for most criminal and traffic law cases throughout the state.

  8. Accredited Specialists

    Our entire firm is exclusively dedicated to criminal law – which makes us true specialists.

    All of our lawyers have years of experience representing clients in criminal cases, and our principal has been certified by the Law Society of NSW as an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 2005.

    An ‘Accredited Specialist’ is a lawyer who has practised for at least 5 years in a particular field of law (such as criminal law), has passed a rigorous assessment process conducted by the Law Society of NSW, and has been selected by the Specialist Accreditation Committee of the Law Society as an expert in the field.

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  9. Results-Focused Law Firm

    Our team is passionate about achieving results, and unlike many other law firms, our lawyers do not have monthly financial ‘budgets’ to meet.

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  10. Team of Lawyers Behind You

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  11. Familiar with Magistrates and Judges

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  12. Convenience

    We have offices in locations across the Sydney Metropolitan Area and beyond, including:

    We offer free parking at our Sydney CBD offices, and all of our offices are close to train stations and bus terminals.

    For those who are unable to attend our offices, we offer conferences by telephone, Skye and FaceTime anywhere around the world.

    If you are going to court and wish to arrange a free first consultation, call our 24 hour hotline on (02) 9261 8881 or send us an email at info@sydneycriminallawyers.com.au.

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