Drug Schedules

Being charged with drug possession, distribution of drugs, or intent to distribute drugs is a serious situation. An experienced, local attorney can help you navigate the complexity of Alabama drug schedules and charges.

In Alabama, a controlled dangerous substance is defined under state law, and the Alabama drug schedule is ranked I through V. These classifications are found in the Code of Alabama that delineates the different categories of controlled substances.

The Alabama drug schedule tends to mirror and mimic the federal drug schedule. However, on a yearly basis, the United States Congress and Alabama State legislature tinker with the varying schedules to add new precursors and add new synthetics so they do not always mirror each other exactly, but there is a high degree of uniformity between the two.

There are five different schedules of controlled substances in the Alabama drug schedule, and what differentiates the varying levels are the following:

• The potential for abuse
• The acceptance of medical use for the particular drug
• The chance of dependency, either psychiatric or physical

A schedule I drug in Alabama is a drug that has a high potential for abuse and has no accepted medical use in the United States or lacks accepted safety for use in treatment in the United States. An example of a schedule I drug would be heroin.

In Alabama, a schedule II drug is a drug that has a high potential for abuse and has a current accepted medical use in treatment with severe restrictions and the potential for abuse of a high degree and psychological dependence or physical dependence. An example of a schedule II drug would be methadone.

In Alabama, a schedule III drug is a drug that has a potential for abuse but is less than the substances in schedule I or II, has an accepted medical use for treatment in the United States, and only has a low to moderate degree of physical dependence or psychological dependence. An example of a schedule III drug is an amphetamine.

In Alabama, a schedule IV drug is a drug that has a low potential for abuse, lower than a schedule III, has a current accepted medical use for treatment in the United States, and the abuse of a substance may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence. An example of a schedule IV drug is phenobarbital.

A schedule V drug in Alabama is a drug that has a low potential for abuse relative to controlled substances listed in schedule IV, the substance currently has an accepted medical use in treatment, and the substance has a limited physical dependence or psychological dependence. An example would be modified codeine.

Minimum and maximum sentencing are not necessarily influenced by where the drug falls in the Alabama drug schedule. Rather, it is based on quantity. Regardless of the schedule of the drug or quantity of the drug involved, it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible.