Drug Possession Charges: The Different Schedules Of Drugs

People facing drug possession charges face a good range of sanctions. The penalties that they will get differs from state to state. Some simple possession charges range from a fine of $100 and a couple of days in custody. Other charges can go up to many years in prison and thousands of dollars in fine. Sentences associated with simple possession of medicine tend to be the lightest while manufacturing or cultivating drugs and also distributing it gets heavier penalties. The prosecutors responsible for the case often lead to the defendant to assist the authorities to investigate and arrest a possible gangland group as well as its leader.

Cannabis, commonly referred to as marijuana, is a type of mind-altering drug, which can alter brain functions leading to changes in mood, cognition, behavior, and perception. Cannabis can sometimes be used for medicinal purposes and recreational uses. Frequently abusing the use of drugs can lead to addiction. The addiction then results in dependence on the drug.

The cannabis or marijuana possession laws went through a lot of changes with some states legalizing marijuana or decriminalizing possession of the aforementioned drug. All of the states that legalized the use of marijuana made a lot of restrictions in possessing it. If someone is caught possessing marijuana under a particular amount, usually one ounce, there’ll be no penalty. However, if the quantity of drugs goes over a particular amount, the individual will get penalties and increased fines counting on the quantity that was confiscated.

The sanctions that an individual can get for drug possession charges differ from state to state. While the federal features a big scope for them to enforce new drug laws, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) focuses more on the drug traffic in several states also as larger drug operations. The local laws are mostly handled by the states, employing a big variety of sentencing guidelines. Here are a number of the states and their penalties for drug possessions:

• New York – Possessing eight or more ounces of narcotic drugs or 5,760 milligrams of methadone drug can cause eight to twenty years of imprisonment.
• Washington – The penalty for possessing any amount of heroin is often up to 5 years of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. The penalty is going to be doubled for habitual offenders.

The penalties depend on the judges that handle the charges. The penalties that an individual can get range from small fines and community service hours to probation to the sentences which will take a long time.

How does the Government of the US classify Drugs like Marijuana?

Drugs are classified or referred to as scheduled by its medical use and for its potential for abuse. The definition of abuse is in accordance with the Drug Act that the federal enforced. To work out a drug’s classification or a schedule, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will investigate the potential of a drug to be abused. If a drug is susceptible to a high risk of drug dependency and abuse, it’ll then be placed on a schedule. After the scheduling, the drug’s medical use and its potential abuse are then assessed to make a decision where it’ll be classified.

Here are a number of the drugs that are placed on a schedule consistent with Vox, with 1 being the highest restriction and 5 being the lowest:

Schedule 1: ecstasy, marijuana, LSD, and heroin
Schedule 2: oxycodone, meth, Vicodin, Adderall, and cocaine
Schedule 3: anabolic steroids, Tylenol, and ketamine
Schedule 4: Ambien, Soma, Valium, and Xanax
Schedule 5: Robitussin AC, Lomotil, Motofen, and Lyrica

Why are drug schedules important?

The drug’s schedule is used for the regulation of the substances. Schedule 1 and the schedule 2 both have the strictest regulations. Schedule 1 substances are illegal for any uses outside of research, while schedule 2 is often used for a few limited medical uses with the approval of the DEA.

Drug schedules also can influence state laws. For instance, the schedule status of marijuana is among the reasons why tons of banks are reluctant in opening bank accounts for growers, and pot shops. The marijuana’s inclusion on the foremost restricted substances results in reluctance in opening accounts for businesses associated with marijuana in some states like Colorado and Washington, albeit the companies are legal under the state law.

If there is an individual who is charged with drug possession charges, he or she would need to hire an experienced drug defense lawyer to help him or her win the trials.