An Overview of Drug Crimes

From sales and distribution to manufacturing and possession, drug crimes involve and include a large range of offenses.  They can violate both state and federal law depending on the cases circumstances.  Consequences can vary when you violate such drug laws, including prison, forfeiture of your property, probation and mandatory drug programs for treatment.  And if you have prior convictions/charges even being charged with the less serious of these charges can have harsher outcomes.  You can contact Crain Lewis, LLP located in Dallas, Texas and see what options you may have legally if you are charged with such a drug crime.

State and Federal Drug Laws

Going as far back as the 1800s the Federal Government maintained control over manufacture and importation of drugs.  A Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention & Control Act was passed by Congress in 1970 which overrode many of the drug laws that were in existence.  This placed controlled substances in five (5) categories (Schedules I thru V), based them on their therapeutic and addiction rate.  Called the Controlled Substances Act, the law now has enforcement and penalties for such acts as distribution, possession and manufacture of such substances  Schedule I has the harshest of penalties, those include drugs that have no medical use and have a very high addiction rate such as LSD, marijuana and heroin.  Schedule II drugs have higher dependence and abuse rate and include such as cocaine, PCP, Methamphetamine, and methadone.  Schedule III are less potential for abuse over Schedule II but have moderate dependence and may have accepted some medical usage.  They include codeine and anabolic steroids.  Schedule IV will then again have less potential in abuse over Schedule III and less dependency potential and accepted in our medical treatment.  They include Xanax, Valium and some other sedatives and tranquilizers.  And last is Schedule V that has a low abuse potential limited dependency risk and accepted in our medical usage.  They include drugs like cough medicines that contain codeine.
Many states have laws that mirror Controlled Substances Act, making penalties less harsh and have more flexibility in state sentencing than that of federal guidelines.  If you are faced with a drug charge, you need to contact a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer to discuss your legal options and case with you like Crain Lewis, LLP located in Dallas, Texas.

Penalties and Drug Crimes
Attempts to conspire or commit distribution, trafficking, sales, possession are included in the broad range the is considered prohibited by state and federal statue.  This includes Forgery and fraud of a prescription.  Operated in or planned throughout all fifty (50) states is drug courts.  Each state will usually have its own guidelines.

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