Possession of Schedule 1 Controlled Substances – VGCSA – Georgia

Possession of Schedule 1 drugs are classified as felonies in the State of Georgia. According to the laws of our state, criminal charges associated with the possession of these drugs are in accordance with the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. The following controlled substances are examples of drugs classified as Schedule 1:

  • Heroin
  • LSD
  • Morphine
  • Ecstasy

THE OFFENSE

V.G.C.S.A. offenses, which stands for “Violations of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, include the charge of possessing Schedule I drugs. The Georgia Controlled Substances Act is laid out in the following statutes: O.C.G.A. § 16-13-20 through § 16-13-30. A list of all of the controlled substances considered to be Schedule I are referenced in O.C.G.A. § 16-13-25 of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. A Schedule I controlled substance is defined as:

  1. A drug or other substance that has a high potential for abuse;
  2. The drug or other substance does not currently have any accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; and
  3. There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

According to O.C.G.A § 16-13-30, it is unlawful for any person to purchase, possess, or have under his or her control any controlled substance, which does encompass any Schedule I drug.

SENTENCING

If an accused is prosecuted under the Georgia Controlled Substances Act for possessing a Schedule I controlled substance, the charge will be classified as a felony. If the accused is later convicted of these charges, the following punishments may occur:

  1. If the aggregate weight is less than one gram of a solid substance or less than one milliliter of a liquid substance, the accused may be sentenced to imprisonment anywhere between 1-3 years;
  2. If the aggregate weight is at least one gram but less than four grams of a solid substance or at least one milliliter but less than four milliliters of a liquid substance, the accused may be sentenced to imprisonment anywhere between 1-8 years;
  3. If the aggregate weight is at least four grams but less than 28 grams of a solid substance or at least four milliliters but less than 28 milliliters of a liquid substance, the accused may be sentenced to imprisonment anywhere between 1-15 years.

Because of the severity of the punishment for possessing a Schedule I controlled substance, it is of vital importance to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to defend you against such serious allegations. At the Law Offices of W. Scott Smith, our lawyers are trained to know all possible options of an accused arrested and charged with V.G.C.S.A., we understand and assert all potential defenses for such a charge, and we work tirelessly at advocating for our client’s rights. Therefore, if you or a loved one has been arrested for possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, please call our office today at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.