MINNESOTA CRIMINAL LAWYER JENNIFER SPEAS REPRESENTS MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL AREA
A number of people end up with prescription drugs for one reason or another. Perhaps you had surgery and were prescribed opioids. Maybe you didn’t end up needing them for long as the doctors expected or hated the way they made you feel. Regardless of why, if you have extra prescription drugs, it is better to just to throw them away.
You shouldn’t flush them or throw them down in the trash, but rather need to take advantage of programs to safely dispose of prescription drugs, which can be a pain to find. Although they were prescribed to you, that doesn’t mean you have the right to give them to anyone else.
THE SALE OF SCHEDULE II NARCOTICS
If you have extra opioids laying around, you may think to make some extra money by selling them. Unfortunately, both federal and Minnesota law strictly labels many pain killers as schedule II drugs. What schedule II means is that the drug has many good medical uses and can be used under the direction of a doctor, but that it is also at high risk for abuse as those taking them can easily form a chemical dependency.
This scheduling also means that possessing this medication without a prescription is a crime. So whether you decide to sell the pills or even give them to someone else with chronic pain, you are technically classified as a criminal drug dealer by doing so.
Typically Minnesota drug crime punishments are dependent on how much of the substance was on you at the time. Possessing six grams of cocaine rather than five grams is can mean 25 years in prison and $250,000 in fines instead of 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
While this can also be elevated with how much schedule II drug you have on you, typically unless charged with intent to sell, you will face up to five years in prison with a fine up to $10,000. Unfortunately, if you have multiple convictions, this will also raise the punishments as well.
DEFENDING AGAINST SCHEDULE II DRUG CHARGES
The United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis. The number of people that have developed addiction to pain killers and end up hospitalized or dead from that addiction has skyrocketed due, primarily, to the over prescription of the past.
While doctors are now cracking down on how often and for what they prescribe these addictive pills, law enforcement is also doing their part to take them off the streets. This means that now is more dangerous than ever for those with extra prescription drugs to be selling them to others.
If attempting to sell prescription medication, the last thing you want is an intent to sell charge. You may be in trouble for possession this medication unless you can prove you have a prescription. You will want a lawyer on your side to make sure you are well defended against your intent to sell. However, the unfortunate reality is that if you don’t have a prescription for the pills, but posses them, it can be very difficult to escape charges.
NEED HELP? CONTACT ATTORNEY JENNIFER SPEAS
Are you facing charges for the sale or possession of schedule II prescription drugs? This is a very serious crime that can come with big punishments.
However, depending on the circumstances of your case, you may not be facing an easy case. However, contact us today to see what the Speas Law Firm can do for you.
We can examine your case to see what we can do to help mitigate any potential punishments that can come from the simple desire of not wanting to be wasteful.