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California Drug Crime Defense Attorneys

Drug Schedules

Drug schedules rank controlled substances in order of their abuse risk or abuse potential. Schedule I drugs have the highest potential for abuse and drugs in schedule V have the lowest potential for abuse. The California Health & Safety Code defines which drugs belong in each schedule and, in some cases, defines acceptable quantities.

Schedule I

Section 1105 of the California Health & Safety Code lists the drugs that belong to schedule I. Schedule I includes illegal drugs like heroin, LSD, peyote and mescaline, as these drugs have a high potential for abuse:

• Opiates such as betaprodine, norlevorphanol, normethadone and ketobemidone
• Any substance containing acetylfentanyl or the thiophene analog of this substance
• Opium derivatives such as codeine-N-oxide, morphine-N-oxide and dihydromorphine
• Hallucinogenic substances such as Psilocybin, methaqualone and fenethylline

Schedule II

Schedule II drugs have moderate potential for abuse. The list of schedule II drugs is covered by section 11055 of the California Health & Safety Code. This drug schedule includes coca leaves, poppy straw concentrate and a number of other drugs.

• Opium extracts, powdered opium and tincture of opium
• Morphine
• Oxymorphone
• Hydromorphone
• Hydrocodone
• Oxycodone
• Opiates such as fentanyl, metazocine, diphenoxylate and anileridine

Schedule III

Schedule III drugs, covered by section 11056 of the California Health & Safety Code, have some potential for abuse, but the risk is not as high as the one posed by drugs in schedules I and II. Drugs in this schedule include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Chlorphentermine
• Mazindol
• Benzphetamine
• Compounds or mixtures containing amobarbital, pentobarbital or secobarbital
• Substances containing barbituric acid
• Narcotic drugs in limited quantities
• Ketamine
• Anabolic steroids, with some exceptions

Schedule IV

Schedule IV drugs have a lower risk of abuse than drugs in schedules I, II and III. These drugs fall under section 11057 of the California Health & Safety Code. Schedule IV drugs include the following:

• Depressants such as alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, lorazepam and paraldehyde
• Stimulants such as phentermine, pipradrol and diethylpropion
• Fenfluramine

Schedule V

Schedule V drugs have the lowest potential for abuse. The list of schedule V drugs appears in section 11058 of the California Health & Safety Code. This section of the code also defines acceptable quantities of these substances.

• Not more than 100 mg of dihydrocodine per 100 g or 100 ml
• Not more than 2.5 mg of diphenoxylate and not less than 25 mcg of atropine sulfate per dosage unit
• Buprenorphine
• Not more than 200 mg of codeine per 100 g or 100 ml
• Not more than 100 mg of ethylmorphine per 100 g or 100 ml
• Not more than 100 mg of opium per 100 g or 100 ml

California Drug Charges

Possession of some of these substances classifies as a crime in California. The type of drug, amount of drug and other factors determine the charges and possible penalties in this type of drug case. Possession of a controlled substance for personal use has a possible penalty of 16 months, two years or three years, if it is a first offense. Possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell is a felony in California, even if the drug in question is legal and has medicinal value. A California drug possession charge carries a possible penalty of two to four years in state prison.

Keeping You Informed, Protecting Your Rights

If you are facing a drug charge related to the possession of a controlled substance, call one of the aggressive Los Angeles drug crime lawyers at Takakjian & Sitkoff, LLP. We will fight on your behalf to get the charges reduced or dropped. Contact us as soon as possible after your arrest at 1-866-790-5858.

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