Possession of prescription drugs can form basis of drug crimes

Illinois residents can suffer from illnesses and injuries that require them to see their doctors and get treatment that will alleviate their symptoms while they heal. Although in some cases a person’s treatment plan may include physical therapy and rest, in others it may require the person to receive a prescription drug. Prescription medications and drugs are substances that are not generally permitted to be held by individuals without legitimate medical causes.

Prescription drugs can be given to patients from their doctors to help them heal. However, the same drugs that doctors prescribe to some can also become illegal substances in the hands of others. Without a prescription for a controlled substance a person found to be in possession of medications, such as morphine, methamphetamine or Percocet, could be charged with a serious drug crime.

This dual nature of some drugs – beneficial when needed to fix an ailment, but illegal when possessed without a prescription – can make understanding drug charges based on prescriptions and controlled substances a challenge. A person may wonder if it is illegal to take an old prescription once a medical condition has been fixed or if it is illegal to share a prescription with someone who may need it for a medical cause. The fine line between illegality and legitimate possession may become grey when defending oneself from prescription drug crimes.

Drug charges that include possession, distribution and manufacturing can be met with serious sanctions if individuals are found guilty of the underlying crimes, and for this reason people who want help preparing for their drug crime trials often get more information about how to protect their legal rights.