Heroin - The Law

The Law

Heroin is a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States. It is illegal to possess or sell even a small amount of it. Heroin is also illegal in every country in Europe, as well as in Mexico, Canada, and the countries of Central and South America. Even where it is grown, the drug is illegal and must be produced and refined without government knowledge.

A person convicted on U.S. federal charges of possessing a Schedule I substance faces prison terms and hefty fines. Those who manage to avoid prison on a first offense are subject to probation and random urine tests for drugs. Any detection of drugs during a test sends the user to jail. Other fines and sentences vary from state to state. For instance, in many places people can be arrested for possessing the pipes and needles used to ingest heroin—so-called "drug paraphernalia."

The penalties for second and third offenses are much greater and almost always involve as much as two years in prison. States with "three strikes" programs give life sentences to those convicted of a third instance of selling a controlled substance.

Heroin dependence carries with it many opportunities to run afoul of the law. Theft and prostitution both result in criminal records, possible jail time, and publicity. Many hard-core drug users turn to drug dealing to support their habits, thus increasing their chances of stiff sentences if they are arrested. People caught selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school face the most serious sentences of all. Even first-time convictions carry minimum prison terms and double fines.

Some people and organizations have pressed to make some Schedule I drugs legal. However, no doctors, religious sects, or research scientists have asked that heroin be made available to anyone, for any reason. Opinion of the drug is universally low among those who understand its workings on the brain.