Florida Statute 893.135 is the drug trafficking statute — and “trafficking” in Florida is about weight, not selling. Possess enough of a substance and you are a trafficker with a mandatory minimum prison sentence, even if it was for personal use. All trafficking offenses are first-degree felonies.
The thresholds that matter most locally
- Cannabis: 25+ lbs (or 300+ plants) = 3-year minimum, $25,000 fine; 2,000+ lbs = 7 years; 10,000+ lbs = 15 years.
- Cocaine: 28+ grams = 3-year minimum, $50,000; 200+ grams = 7 years; 400+ grams = 15 years; 150+ kg = life.
- Fentanyl: 4 grams = 7-year minimum, $50,000; 14 grams = 20 years; 28 grams = 25 years, $500,000.
Mandatory means mandatory
The statute forbids courts from suspending, deferring, or withholding the sentence, and gain-time cannot cut below the minimum. A judge who thinks 7 years is unjust in your case has no power to go lower — only the prosecutor does, through charging decisions or substantial-assistance agreements.
The detail most people miss
Weight includes the whole mixture, not the pure drug. Four grams of pills pressed with a trace of fentanyl is four grams of fentanyl under the statute — a handful of counterfeit pills can carry a 7-year minimum. This is why fentanyl cases are charged so aggressively, and why the lab work and the search that produced the drugs deserve a fight.
Facing a trafficking charge with a mandatory minimum? Call (863) 774-4556 for a free consultation, or send us a message. Board Certified · Reach Us 24/7 · Hablamos Español.
Read the law yourself: Fla. Stat. § 893.135 (official Florida Statutes). Related on this site: Drug crime defense.
Legally reviewed by Tonmiel Rodriguez, Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law by The Florida Bar. The Rodriguez Law Office defends these charges across Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties. This article is general information about Florida law, not legal advice about your case.