in calif. federal or state charges or not

I am applying for student aid in CA. The question is have
you ever been arrested for possesion or possesion for sale?
Then it says, count only state and federal charges. What is
a state or federal charge?

If you have ever been arrested for the reasons the question poses, the rest of the question is moot.
There are State and Federal drug laws and thus separate charges and jurisdiction.
Local vice/drug enforcement v. Federal DEA.