The Blanch Law Firm’s criminal defense lawyer team is dedicated to the defense of Serious Drug Charges, regardless of whether they are prosecuted in state or federal court. We defend people facing drug charges stemming from drug sale, conspiracies, trafficking, distribution rings, or narcotics import networks. The most serious drug charges are often prosecuted in federal court. As such, our drug crimes defense practice focuses on criminal defense of federal drug charges. Drug crimes at the federal level are typically prosecuted by the Drug Enforcement Agency (the DEA). The laws governing federal criminal drug charges are divided by severity level which in turn affects sentencing for any particular federal drug crime. Levels I and II are the most serious drug crimes in the federal criminal system. The complete schedule of federal drug charges is set forth below:

Schedule One

Drug crimes in the Federal criminal system categorized as involving Schedule I narcotics reflect drugs considered to carry the highest risk for abuse. These have no medicinal purpose and are considered highly toxic and with an increased mortality rate. The more commonly recognized types of these drugs are: LSD, PCPy, Marijuana, Heroin, mescaline and peyote. Interestingly Marijuana is included as a Schedule I drug even though it has known medical uses, is not physically addictive and has a virtually non-existent risk of death associated with its use. This is an example of how politics and the so called War on Drugs can skew the DEA's methodology.

Schedule Two

Drug crimes prosecuted for possession, sale and conspiracy or trafficking that fall into this category are considered by the Federal Government as having a great risk of critical and severe physical addiction with a certain level of acceptance in the medical community as containing limited medical benefit. Some of the drugs in that list will surprise you based on this description. Some Schedule II drugs include, but are not limited to, PCP, China White, opium, Ritalin, cocaine, Laudanum, methadone, Lyspafen, various amphetamines, PCE and methamphetamines or "Meth."

Schedule Three

Although still prosecuted by the DEA through the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, these drugs are supposed to have less potential for abuse than any of the drugs listed above. They have been determined by the DEA to have medical use and some risk of dependency or addition. Drugs in this list include Anabolic steroids, Boldenone, Testosterone, Nalorphine or Nalline.

Schedule Four

Drugs that fall into this category have been cited by the DEA as having some limited dependency associated with them and a certain medical use. Drugs in the category include Xanax, Redux, Beta Chlor, Valium, Ambien, Reactivan, Mefenorex, Versed, Domar and Centrax.

Schedule Five

These drugs are considered as having a very low potential for abuse and an accepted medical application. These drugs include Lomotil, Motofen, Centroton, Logen, Thymergix, and Codeine preparations.

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