There are many different injuries and medial conditions that cause people great amounts of pain. No one likes being in pain though and it can make doing many things in life very difficult. That is why when people see doctors to treat these medical conditions often times, they will prescribe pain killers to alleviate the pain people are experiencing and make life much more comfortable as people recover.
Many of the pain killers that are prescribed are forms of opioids, which are very effective at reducing pain levels. However, they are also very addictive. There are many people who do become addicted while under a prescription and will try to find opioids from various sources once their doctor is no longer prescribing them. When people do this, it is illegal and opioid possession without a prescription could face serious consequences.
The potential penalties that people may face depends on the amount that people are possessing when they are stopped by police.
People who possess less than one gram could be sentenced between six months and two years in jail and be fined up to $10,000. People who possess one to four grams, could be put in jail for two to ten years and the fine could be up to $10,000. If people have between four grams and 200 grams, the jail time could be between two and 20 years and a $10,000 fine. Possessing between 200 and 400 grams could result in jail time between five and 99 years and a $10,000 fine. For those possessing over 400 grams, they could be sent to jail for 10 years to life in prison and a $10,000 fine.
There are many people in Texas who may have first started taking opioid pain killers through a prescription after an injury. Doing that is perfectly legal, but if people continue taking them after they no longer have a prescription, they could find themselves facing jail time and other punishments. People are innocent until proven guilty though and people only realize these punishments if they are actually convicted. Experienced attorneys understand the potential defenses and may be able to protect one’s rights.
