Who’s Afraid Of Scopolamine?
One might argue that the legal status of various drugs is based on lawmakers’ subjective associations with them. It is not hard to find documentaries about how the media spread stereotypes about various ethnic minorities being fond of various intoxicating substances, and how this was the catalyst for the criminalization of these drugs. The line of logic went something like “Group X is bad news, and this drug is prevalent where members of Group X live and work, so therefore possession of the drug itself is a crime.” The concept of drug paraphernalia operates similarly. Whether the presence of a spoon in your car indicates that you have been using illegal drugs, or whether it means that you wanted to get your Dairy Queen fix while reducing the consumption of single-use plastics is up to the prosecution’s interpretation. The same applies when cops assume that, if there is a grocery bag with Jolly Ranchers and Sprite, lean is not far away. Likewise, the prescription drug scopolamine is not a controlled substance, but its presence among your possessions could lead to suspicions that you are involved in a conspiracy to commit a crime. If you are facing criminal charges after getting caught with drugs that are not technically illegal, contact a West Palm Beach drug offenses lawyer.
Scopolamine Is Not a Controlled Substance, but You Can Still Get in Big Trouble for It
Scopolamine has been known to humans for thousands of years; it occurs in plants such as the deadly nightshade and black henbane, among many others that grow in temperate regions throughout the world. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was used in combination with low doses of morphine during surgery, since this was safer than using morphine alone at doses that could produce adequate sedation. Even today, it can be given before surgery to reduce saliva, respiratory secretions, and nausea; it is also available by prescription as a treatment for motion sickness.
Because it causes drowsiness and a dissociative mental state, scopolamine has also sometimes been used to immobilize the targets of crimes such as robberies, kidnappings, and sexual assaults. Like Rohypnol, it is not easily detectable when added to a drink, because it does not change the color or appearance of the drink, but unlike Rohypnol, scopolamine has such a short half-life that it is not easily detectable in blood and urine samples by the time a criminal investigation begins.
Even though scopolamine is not a controlled substance, it looks bad if you have the drug in your possession but it has not been prescribed to you. You will need to prove that you needed a motion sickness drug that is stronger than Dramamine, but that you have no intention of drugging people and robbing them.
Contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
Attorney William Wallshein has more than 40 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County. Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
outofofficegal.com/blog/scopolamine-devils-breath-colombia
