Drug Houses and Premises

Drug house and premises offenses are offenses of keeping a place used for making, selling or taking drugs. In the United States, 21 U.S. Code section 856 makes it unlawful to knowingly open, lease, rent, use or maintain any place, permanently or temporarily, for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing or using a controlled substance, and also to manage or control a place as owner, lessee, agent, employee, occupant or mortgagee and knowingly rent, lease, profit from or make it available for that purpose. A violation carries up to 20 years in prison or a fine of up to $500,000, or both, and is treated as an offense against property.