Schedule V Drugs

If you have been charged with illegally possessing or selling a Schedule V Drug, you are facing serious repercussions that will negatively impact your life for years to come.

When you are arrested on charges of dealing Schedule V drugs, you will be up against Pennsylvania’s tough mandatory minimum sentencing laws and you may also face federal laws. As soon as you or a family member is charged, you will need to retain an experienced criminal defense attorney.

What You Need To Know About Schedule V Drugs

The federal Controlled Substances Act divides drugs into five schedules or classifications. These categories are assigned based on the drugs’ addictive qualities and potential for abuse.

• Schedule V drugs have lower potential for abuse than Schedule 1V drugs.
• They are used medically in the US and may be available by prescription.
• They contain a small amount of narcotics.
• They include Lomotil, Lyrica and cough medicines like Robitussin AC.

Selling Schedule V Drugs

If you are charged with selling, intending to sell or distributing Schedule V drugs, you run the risk of severe punishment.

• If you are charged with selling a Schedule V drug you are facing up to one year in prison and a fine up to $1,000.
• Additional penalties can be added based on the amount of drugs you are caught with, the weapons you have with you when you are arrested, where you were arrested (for example, if you were near a school) and your prior convictions.

 Prescription Fraud

In Pennsylvania it is illegal to obtain prescription drugs, including those covered under Schedule V, by fraud, forgery or deception.

If, for example, you steal a few pages from your doctor’s prescription pad and write yourself a fake prescription, you can be charged with prescription fraud and you will face penalties that include jail time.

What To Do If You Have Been Charged

If you are caught with drugs in your possession, it is important that you do not make any statements to the arresting officer about the drugs. Do not tell the officer who you believe the drug belongs to.

As with most criminal charges, you should not talk to the police or prosecutors without your attorney by your side. What you say can be taken out of context and used against you. If the police question you, tell them you want a lawyer and politely refuse to answer their questions.

What a Pennsylvania Drug Attorney Can Do

Your attorney will examine the alleged facts to first determine if there was probable cause to charge you lawfully.

• If you were stopped in your car, your defense attorney will find out if there was probable cause to pull you over and to search you and the vehicle. They will look for ways to have any evidence suppressed.
• Your lawyer will see if there are ways to show that the amount of drugs that were with you at the time of your arrest were for personal use only.
• If the drugs belonged to someone else, your attorney will try to find proof that they were not yours.

How a PA Drug Defense Lawyer Will Help

When you are up against a Schedule V drug charge, you will be facing inflexible laws and a determined prosecutor. You will need an attorney who can help you determine all of your options and achieve the best outcome for your circumstances.

Pennsylvania Schedule V Law

Schedule V drug charges are described and defined under The Pennsylvania Code under Title 35 Chapter 6. Read the code here.