Legal Question in Criminal Law in United States

That will largely depend on where this happened. Drug laws vary quite a bit from one state to another. Your question is posted under "United States," so we can't tell which state's laws are at issue. Please re-post it under the specific state where your friend was taken into custody. More lawyers with the relevant expertise will see it there, and future users with similar questions will be better able to find it.

Please also give us some basic information about the charges. What kind of drugs did the officers find? How much was there? Does your friend have a criminal record?

Even with that information, we would need more details in order to give a reliable answer. If possible, your friend should speak directly to local defense attorneys instead of going through you. Unless you're a licensed attorney, discussions between you and your friend are not privileged. You could be forced to testify about what he tells you. That won't be a concern when he speaks with his lawyer, or with lawyers he's considering.

If your friend can't afford to hire a lawyer, the court will appoint one for him at public expense.

Good luck.

Good luck.