Many drugs can be bought at stores, such as cough, inflammatory, headache and pain medicines, creams and vitamins. These drugs often do not require any sort of verification to buy. Some drugs are prescribed by doctors and can be obtained at pharmacies. Other kinds of drugs can be used only by nurses and doctors in hospitals and doctor offices. And, some drugs are illegal to have.
What determines whether a drug can be bought by the general public, used in hospitals or is illegal? The Controlled Substance Act is a policy enacted in 1970 to control the manufacture, possession and distribution of certain substances. The CSA is mainly responsible for what drugs can be bought over the counter. However, criminal charges for drug possession may also be determined by the CSA.
Under the CSA, substances are categorized into schedules. Here is what you should know about drug schedules:
Understanding drug schedules
There are five different drug schedules. Schedules V, IV and III are the three lowest drug categorizations. These schedules often include substances that have very little tendency to cause addiction with each schedule being more addictive than the last. People can easily obtain or use Schedule V, IV and III substances for medical use.
Schedules II and I drugs are more likely to be abused. Schedule II drugs have very little medical uses. Schedule I drugs have no known medical uses.
How drug schedules affect criminal cases
In a criminal case focusing on drug possession, the court may consider what kind of scheduled drug was in possession by the defendant. Higher scheduled drugs often lead to harsher punishments. A strong legal defense can reduce potential charges.