2.87 CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES-CONSPIRACY / 21 U.S.C. Sec. 846 is a federal law that prohibits any person from conspiring to possess, manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance. The law applies to any controlled substance, including marijuana, cocaine, opioids, and other illicit drugs. The law also applies to other substances, such as anabolic steroids. It is a felony crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. There are three different types of conspiracy violations under 21 U.S.C. Sec. 846: conspiring to commit a substantive offense, conspiring to aid and abet a substantive offense, and conspiring to defraud the United States. All of these violations are punishable by the same penalties.