Understanding Colorado’s Drug Scheduling System

If you smoke marijuana or other drugs in Colorado, it’s essential to understand both the state’s drug scheduling system and the specifics of the Colorado distribution policy on marijuana. Doing so helps you understand how dangerous a drug is and what legal risk you take by using it. If you have been charged with a drug offense, contact a drug crime attorney first chance you get.

Schedule I

Drugs that are highly addictive and dangerous are listed in this category. You have heroin, acid diethylamide and other harmful substances. These drugs cause a lot of health problems and have no medical use.

Schedule II

In this category, you have substances that are highly addictive but have medical uses. Examples include prescription painkillers and similar medications. Morphine is in this category.

Schedule III

This category includes drugs that are not as harmful or addictive as those in the last category, but they are still addictive and harmful. Vicodin and Suboxone fall into this group of drugs.

Schedule IV

Xanax and Ativan are in this category. You have drugs that have a low potential for abuse, and doctors prescribe them often. Drugs that are in this category have positive medical uses but also require a doctor’s supervision. Your doctor wants to ensure you don’t have any medical conditions that make it dangerous to use these medications. Also, these medications can have harmful interactions with other drugs. Your doctor wants to make sure your medications don’t interact with each other in a way that harms your health.

Schedule V

In this group of drugs, you have medications that you can buy without a prescription from your doctor. These drugs are not often abused and are mostly safe to use. Even though they are not usually harmful, ensure you read the label before taking them so that you don’t run into unexpected problems along the way. Even though you can buy these drugs without a prescription, you can still get into legal trouble if you misuse them. For example, some people abuse cough medications.

Legal Fallout

The legal fallout from abusing drugs depends on several factors. The drug you have and how much you have are factors that impact your charges. You could face legal trouble if you put a prescription medication in a different container. Depending on the drug you have, it must be in a bottle that has your prescription information and the name of the doctor who gave it to you. Legal fallout can range from fines to decades behind bars.

Getting Professional Legal Help

If you are facing drug charges or believe you are under investigation, get legal help the first chance you get. You can’t afford to waste time or take chances when your future and life are on the line. I understand drug laws and have won many cases, building a positive reputation among my clients. I handle your case with care and attention to detail so that you have the best possible odds of success. Let the Law Office of Kevin Cahill know when you are ready to begin, and we will move forward together.