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DC Prescription Drug Lawyer

Possession of prescription drugs is illegal when a person does not have a valid prescription for the drugs. Some drugs people commonly try to obtain without a valid prescription include Xanax or Valium, which are considered depressants, or Oxycontin and Lortab, which are pain relievers. An experienced DC prescription drug lawyer can walk you through your options while protecting your rights in a case and help control the negative effects of a drug charge if presented in a case with these types of drugs.

Possession with the intent to distribute refers to somebody who has possession of prescription drugs as well as the intent to sell the drugs to someone else. Simple possession of prescription drugs only refers to being an actual or constructive possession of the drugs.

Pain medication addiction can often lead to illegal possession of prescription drugs. In some situations, people in DC are prescribed pain medication for an injury and then develop a dependence and tolerance to the drug. If a person becomes addicted to the pain medication, it may then lead to them seeking out alternative ways to obtain the drugs, whether legal or illegal.

Penalties and Treatment for Prescription Drug Charges

Consequences that have been associated with the abuse of prescription drugs include social withdrawal and disruption to a person’s work schedule or sleep schedule. Possession of prescription drugs is punishable by 180 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. Selling prescription drugs, on the other hand, is punishable by a year in jail, but also upwards to 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,500 up to $75,000. The punishment will depend on how that drug is classified.

Prescription drug abuse is a high priority for local and federal law enforcement. As prescription drug abuse in DC has increased, government forces have begun to focus closely on this issue. The government has implemented healthcare provider education, for youth, parent, and patient education as well as research and development in an effort to address this public health and safety issue.

The government has implemented actions in an effort to address “doctor shopping” and “pill mills” such as increasing law enforcement training for pharmaceutical crime investigation, implementing prosecution training programs, and aggressively enforcing actions against pain clinics and prescribers who are not prescribing medication for legitimate medical purposes.

Abuse of Medically Approved Drugs

There is no legal difference under DC law between possessing a drug considered inherently illegal such as cocaine and possessing a legal drug such as Oxycontin without a valid prescription. Both of those are treated as the same type of drug possession offense. DC has a number of options for people facing criminal charges of simple possession of a drug for their own personal use that can result in favorable outcomes for their case.

In many situations, these favorable outcomes can result in the complete dismissal of charges. Because DC recognizes that a person can develop a severe addiction to a prescription drug or an illegal substance, DC may grant options to people in these scenarios that permit them to participate in complete diversion options and complete drug court in exchange for having their charges reduced and sometimes dismissed.

It is important to have a lawyer who understands ways of dealing with DC drug laws. The lawyer can advise a person about the favorable options and advocate for those options with prosecutors and judges to minimize any possible jail exposure. The lawyer might be able to obtain the complete dismissal of drug charges upon the person’s successful completion of diversion programs.

Contact a DC Prescription Drugs Attorney

The success of a DC drug case hinges on the evidence presented by the prosecution. How that evidence was found and seized can play a major role in defending your case. Your DC prescription drug lawyer will help you to understand the legal aspects of your case and all of the options available to you and will protect your rights in a DC possession case of prescription drugs.

In situations with allegations of the distribution or possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, DC laws do not treat those situations as favorably as situations where people are accused of possessing illegal substances and drugs for their own personal use. Drug distribution and the possession with intent to distribute drugs are treated less favorably than simple drug possession cases. A DC drug lawyer who understands constitutional issues surrounding searches, traffic stops, and street pat downs can properly defend their client against unconstitutional or otherwise illegal searches and interrogation techniques. The lawyer can help a person facing distribution charges avoid being harmed by illegal or inadmissible evidence prosecutors may try to use at trial.