NowGeorgia.com Crime Reporter Kevin Angell is a career law enforcement professional with experience serving agencies in both Florida and Georgia. He is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who served during Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom and holds a doctorate in criminal justice from Liberty University. His weekly column, Street Smart, publishes every Wednesday at 6 a.m. on Now Georgia.
Throughout my career, I have seen drivers make the same mistake during traffic stops. They believe that if drugs are not in their pocket, they cannot be arrested.
This is a dangerous myth. Under Georgia law, you do not need to hold drugs to possess them.
The ‘equal access’ reality
The concept is called constructive possession. If you are in a vehicle where drugs are found, the law presumes you have the power to control them if you have equal access to the area.
Imagine a car with four people. The police stop the vehicle and find a bag of methamphetamine in the center console. No one claims it. In this scenario, officers can arrest everyone in the car. The state assumes that since the console is accessible to all, the drugs could belong to anyone. You may have to prove your innocence in court while your co-defendants remain silent.
Your rights and vehicle searches
The Fourth Amendment protects you against unreasonable searches and seizures. However, this right has limits in a vehicle.
Police can search your car without a warrant if they have probable cause. This often happens if an officer smells marijuana or sees contraband in plain view. If an officer asks for consent to search, you have the right to say no. Refusing consent does not admit guilt. However, if they have probable cause, they do not need your permission.
By the numbers
Drug enforcement remains active across the state. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, agents opened 38 new drug investigations in the first few months of the 2025 fiscal year alone. In a single operation in September 2024, agencies in southwest Georgia arrested 18 people and seized over 9,000 grams of marijuana.
These statistics show that drug interdiction is a priority. In May 2025, another task force operation led to multiple arrests for trafficking and possession charges.
The cost of a conviction
A conviction for drug possession carries heavy penalties. Strictly speaking, possession of any amount of a controlled substance like cocaine or methamphetamine is a felony.
Penalties often include:
- Jail time: A first offense for possession of a Schedule I or II drug carries a sentence of 2 to 15 years.
- Fines: fines can reach thousands of dollars depending on the amount found.
- Probation and testing: You will likely face years of supervised probation with mandatory drug testing.
Understanding these laws is critical. The “it’s not mine” defense often fails when the law says it is yours by proximity. Educate yourself and your family to avoid becoming a statistic.
Resources
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of an overdose, call 911. Georgia’s “911 Medical Amnesty Law” generally protects callers from arrest for drug possession when seeking medical help for an overdose.
If you are unsure where to start, this state-sponsored line acts as a single point of entry for accessing mental health and substance abuse services in any county.
Georgia Crisis & Access Line (GCAL)
- 24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-715-4225
- Website: mygcal.com
- Services: Immediate crisis intervention and connection to local detox and treatment providers.
Local Treatment Centers by Area
Here are the primary resources for addiction recovery in Northeast Georgia, categorized by location and service type.
Athens-Clarke & Surrounding Counties
Alliance Recovery Center (Athens)
- Phone: (706) 850-2121
- Services: Outpatient opioid treatment, medication-assisted treatment (Methadone/Buprenorphine), and clinical counseling.
Serenity Grove
- Phone: (844) 904-3485
- Services: Residential inpatient treatment, detox, and lifetime continuing care for adults and young adults.
Advantage Behavioral Health Systems
- Phone: (855) 333-9544
- Services: Public safety-net provider offering crisis stabilization, detox, and outpatient services for those with or without insurance.
Hall County (Gainesville area)
Northeast Georgia Health System (Laurelwood)
- Phone: (770) 219-3800
- Services: Inpatient detox and stabilization unit located within the hospital system; specializes in co-occurring disorders (mental health + addiction).
Avita Community Partners
- Phone: (678) 513-5700
- Services: Community service board offering outpatient addiction services, addictive disease peer support, and crisis resources.
Twin Lakes Recovery Center (Monroe/Gainesville area)
- Phone: (877) 931-9884
- Services: Residential treatment and intensive outpatient programs.
Stephens, Habersham, & Franklin Counties (Toccoa area)
Center for Wellness & Recovery of Northeast Georgia
- Phone: (706) 886-4673
- Services: Medically supervised detox and residential treatment located in Toccoa.
- Support Groups & Peer Resources
Georgia Council for Recovery (CARES Program)
- Phone: (404) 523-3440
- Services: Connects individuals with “Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialists”—peers who have lived through addiction and recovery themselves.
- Alcoholics Anonymous (Northeast Georgia)
Local Meetings: negeorgiaaa.org
- Services: Daily support meetings available in almost every city in Northeast Georgia.
Narcotics Anonymous (Georgia Region)
- Helpline: (800) 593-3320
- Services: Peer support meetings specifically for drug addiction.
