Synthetic drugs may or may not be illegal

On Behalf of The Law Office of Jessica Koester, LLC

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Dec 21, 2016

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Drug Charges

Illinois residents may occasionally hear about new drugs that prompt legislative attempts to make them illegal. This is often a push by illicit drug makers to skirt the laws and avoid serious consequences. However, it should be noted that these new compounds, called synthetic drugs, can still result in a person getting taken into custody.

There are three categories that illegal drugs are usually categorized as. Natural drugs are chemicals that are used in their natural form, like marijuana. Compounds that are synthesized from a plant or natural source are categorized as a derivative, such as cocaine. Synthetic drugs are often made from chemical compounds that have been mixed. Bath salts and spice are examples of these.

While some of the components used to create spice and bath salts are legal, they often are not safe for human consumption. Additionally, using the drugs can cause people to violate the laws in ways that were not predicted. Some legal compounds can cause a person to act violently and harm others. Ingesting other compounds could result in the person causing a car accident that could seriously injure or even kill others.

When people are accused of possessing or manufacturing an illegal drug or compound, they may face serious consequences that could include prison, fines and other penalties. It may therefore be advisable for those who are facing these types of drug charges to obtain the assistance of a criminal defense attorney in order to develop a strategy to refute them. Possible challenges could be to the manner in which the search that led to the seizure of the drugs was conducted.