Where do common drugs fall under the federal drug schedules?

 Posted on May 16, 2018 in Drug Charges

The federal government classifies controlled substances into five different schedules with Schedule I having the most severe criminal consequences attached to them and Schedule V having the least severe consequences. Familiarizing yourself with the following drug schedules is important if you've been accused of a drug crime or if you want to avoid getting in trouble with the law for a drug crime.

Schedule V: This category of drugs includes those that the federal government believes are the least dangerous in terms of their propensity for abuse, addiction and potentially damaging effects. They include: Parepectolin, Lyrica, Lomotil and Motofen.

Schedule IV: This category is believed to be slightly more dangerous than Schedule V. They include Darvon, Soma, Xanax, Valium, Ambien and others.

Schedule III: These drugs present a moderate to low threat of addiction and dependency. They include anabolic steroids, ketamine, testosterone and certain codeine-containing medications.

Schedule II: This category is thought to be the second-most dangerous category of controlled substances in terms of the threat of addiction, yet these substances still have a valid medical use. They include OxyContin, Demerol, cocaine, hydrocodone, Vicodin, Adderall, Ritalin and others.

Schedule I: The federal government believes that these drugs are the most dangerous in terms of the threat of physical and psychological dependency. The government also believes that they have no useful medical application. They include: heroin, LSD, marijuana, meth and peyote.

Understanding the above-described drug classifications is important if you hope to avoid getting charged with a drug crime. You may also want to learn about the punishments associated with crimes related to these drugs, as this knowledge will be useful when trying to defend yourself against drug allegations.

Source: DEA, "Drug Schedules," accessed May 11, 2018