Have you been arrested and charged with a drug crime in New Jersey? Do you know someone else who has been arrested for a similar offense and yet the specific charges and potential penalties you may face vary quite a bit from the other person’s? If so, this may be related to which substance is involved in each of the two cases.
As the Florida Statutes explains, the law outlines different groupings for controlled substances. These groupings are referrred to as drug schedules. There are a total of five different schedules. Each drug is categorized based upon the combination of many factors. These include the potential for a person to abuse or become addicted to a drug and what, if any, physical or psychological harm or dependence may result from using the drug. Schedules also consider whether or not there is any recognized medical use of a substance and if the drug can be used safety in a medical setting.
Schedule I drugs are the most severe and have no currently approved medicinal purpose or associated safety and they are believed to be highly addictive or easy to abuse. On the opposite end of the spectrum, schedule V substances do have recognized medicinal benefits and uses. Also, the likelihood of addiction or abuse with schedule V drugs is lower than with the other four schedules.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give New Jersey residents an idea of how different controlled substances are classified under the law and how these classifications may impact charges relating to offenses involving these substances.