Individuals accused of drug offenses in Texas typically face harsh criminal consequences. Texas has notoriously strict drug prohibition laws. Even drugs that are legal or decriminalized in other states, like marijuana, are still fully illegal here in Texas and can even lead to felony charges.
Some people coping with substance abuse issues or self-medicating will abused prescription medication, not illegal drugs. There are those who think that it is legally safer to buy narcotic pain medication on the unregulated market than illegal drugs.
Even if a prescription is legal to possess and use in certain circumstances, it can still lead to drug charges. When do people get arrested for what they do with prescription medication?
When they drive after using medication
Quite a few controlled substances have a negative impact on someone’s ability to drive. From sleeping medication and narcotic painkillers to muscle relaxants and benzodiazepine-based medications, quite a few prescription medications will affect someone’s driving ability and could therefore lead to criminal charges.
When they don’t have a prescription
While Adderal and Oxycodone are both legal when taken under the supervision of a physician, they are habit-forming and easy to abuse. Quite a few prescription drugs when themselves to abuse, which is why you can only legally take and possess prescription medication when a doctor prescribes it to you. Having a drug after your prescription expires or having medication without a doctor’s recommendation and easily lead to your arrest even if you previously had a prescription for the same medicine.
When they give or sell it to others
If you have leftover pills in your prescription, it may seem like a waste to turn them in at the police department or take them back to the prescribing physician, but that is usually what people recommend you do with excess pills. If you transfer your medication to someone else, even if you don’t receive any financial compensation for it, you could end up facing serious criminal charges if they get caught with your medication or if they commit a crime while under the insurance you gave them.
Realizing that there are limits to what you can safely and legally do with prescribed medication could help you avoid or better handle drug charges in Texas.