| Drug and Narcotics Law |
| Controlled Substance Act |
| Marijuana and Medical Marijuana |
| Powder and Crack Cocaine |
| Prescription Drugs |
| Heroin, Opium, and Morphine |
| Metamphetamines, Ecstasy, PCP |
Prescription Drugs, including Vicodin, Oxycontin and Percocet
The Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951 created the criteria that determine if a drug needs a prescription by, or must be used only under the direction of, a duly licensed health professional. According to this law, if drugs are habit-forming, or they are designed for the purpose of treating illness that needs health professional supervision, or they are unsafe for self-medication, or the drugs are just recently released and have not yet been proven as safe for use, then they must only be dispensed with a prescription.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are at least 10,000 prescription drugs circulating in the U.S. About 1500 of these drugs do not contain similar active ingredients, and every year, there are between 20 and 50 new drugs that the FDA approves.
Research shows that millions of Americans use prescription drugs not necessarily for medical purposes. Young people especially are frequently abusing prescription drugs such as Vicodin, Oxycontin and Percocet, among others. Since Oxycontin and Percocet, with oxycodone as their main ingredient, and Vicodin, with hydrocodone as its principal pain reliever, have a potential for abuse, they are all on the list of the federally regulated controlled substances.
The chemical structure of Oxycontin and Percocet is similar to opium. For this reason, they are listed among the Schedule II drugs which are FDA-approved but with higher potential for dependency, whether physical or psychological. They are on the same list as other popular narcotics such as cocaine, morphine and PCP.
Vicodin, on the other hand, is listed as one of the drugs which belong to Schedule III. It is a little less addictive drug compared to those listed under Schedule II; nevertheless, it requires regulation and is subject to a physician’s prescription. Selling these drugs without the proper prescription from a health professional is a crime. In case you are charged with such offense, hiring the services of an experienced defense lawyer is a wise decision.