Many people facing drug charges in South Carolina get caught in possession of a prohibited substance like heroin or marijuana. However, prosecutors can also bring charges against individuals with drugs that are legal to possess.
Prescription medication or controlled substances include blood pressure medication and pain pills, along with hundreds of other drugs. While you can sometimes legally possess and use these substances, you can also break South Carolina law and wind up charged with a crime despite the drug itself being potentially legal.
What are some of the ways people violate the law with prescription drugs?
They transfer them to someone else
After you finish your treatment, you might have a half-dozen pain pills left over in your vial. Rather than throwing them out or turning them in at the police department, you might give them to your neighbor who suffers from chronic migraine or sell them to a co-worker with back problems.
Certain medications have a strong association with abuse and addiction. If you get caught in the act while transferring that medication or the other person gets arrested while possessing your prescriptions, you could face charges under South Carolina law.
They get more of a prescription from a drug dealer
The only legal way to access a prescribed drug is through a doctor’s recommendation and a licensed pharmacy. Even if you have previously taken the medication, it is still a criminal offense to purchase the same pills on the unregulated market. You can face charges for possessing medication without a valid prescription.
They drive after taking them
Drugged driving is as illegal as drunk driving. State prosecutors can bring charges against those who get behind the wheel after taking even legal prescription drugs.
Any medication labeled with a warning that it affects your driving or ability to operate heavy machinery is not a pill you can legally take before driving. If you admit to taking the medication or blood test show it in your system, you could face prosecution.
Although you can legally possess your prescription medication and use it the way a doctor recommended, you could also easily run afoul of the law and find yourself facing charges. Understanding the rules that apply to prescription medications can help you avoid making these mistakes that could lead to drug charges.
