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California Prescription Drug Charges
In California, you can face criminal charges for unlawful possession of prescription drugs. You can also be charged with possession for sales and trafficking of prescription drugs. Drugs like vicodin, valium, oxycontin, xanax, percocet, hydrocodone, and codeine are highly addictive and are some of the most abused prescription drugs out there. Prescription drug fraud has become a problem across the country and particularly in California and is working on cracking down.
Some of the charges you may face for prescription drug crimes:
- Prescription Drug Fraud – includes creating false prescriptions, stealing doctor prescription pads, or falsely representing yourself to obtain a prescription.
- Prescription Drug Trafficking – similar to a drug possession for sale charge, the quantity of the drug in your possession is a determining factor.
- Doctor Shopping – a common behavior related to prescription drug crimes is when you go to multiple doctors to obtain the same (or related) prescriptions. For example, going to different doctors and attempting to get prescriptions for vicodin.
Penalties for Prescription Drug Charges
The potential penalties of a prescription drug crime are similar to that of any drug crime at the State or Federal level. The type of substance and whether there’s intent to sell determine the severity of the punishment.
If there is no intent for sale, it is possible to enter a treatment facility instead of receiving jail time.