California Statutory Drug Penalties

California Health & Safety Code Section 11350 et seq. Please find below some of the statutotry penalties for narcotics as prescribed by California Health and Safety Code Section 11350 et seq. Please cross-reference these statutory penalties with the controlled substances schedules page to view the penalties for any particular offense prosrcibed by the California Health and Safety Code. For further asistance please feel free to contact an attorney in our office. We have a lawyer who can help you with your criminal drug problems.

Health & Safety Code Section 11350

11350. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this division, every person who possesses (1) any controlled substance specified in subdivision (b) or (c), or paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 11054, specified in paragraph (14), (15), or (20) of subdivision (d) of Section 11054, or specified in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 11055, or specified in subdivision (h) of Section 11056, or (2) any controlled substance classified in Schedule III, IV, or V which is a narcotic drug, unless upon the written prescription of a physician, dentist, podiatrist, or veterinarian licensed to practice in this state, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this division, every person who possesses any controlled substance specified in subdivision (e) of Section 11054 shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year or in the state prison.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whenever a person who possesses any of the controlled substances specified in subdivision (a) or (b), the judge may, in addition to any punishment provided for pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b), assess against that person a fine not to exceed seventy dollars ($70) with proceeds of this fine to be used in accordance with Section 1463.23 of the Penal Code. The court shall, however, take into consideration the defendant's ability to pay, and no defendant shall be denied probation because of his or her inability to pay the fine permitted under this subdivision.
(d) Except in unusual cases in which it would not serve the interest of justice to do so, whenever a court grants probation pursuant to a felony conviction under this section, in addition to any other conditions of probation which may be imposed, the following conditions of probation shall be ordered:
(1) For a first offense under this section, a fine of at least one thousand dollars ($1,000) or community service.
(2) For a second or subsequent offense under this section, a fine of at least two thousand dollars ($2,000) or community service.
(3) If a defendant does not have the ability to pay the minimum fines specified in paragraphs (1) and (2), community service shall be ordered in lieu of the fine.

Health & Safety Code Section 11351

11351. Except as otherwise provided in this division, every person who possesses for sale or purchases for purposes of sale (1) any controlled substance specified in subdivision (b), (c), or (e) of Section 11054, specified in paragraph (14), (15), or (20) of subdivision (d) of Section 11054, or specified in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 11055, or specified in subdivision (h) of Section 11056, or (2) any controlled substance classified in Schedule III, IV, or V which is a narcotic drug, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years.

Health & Safety Code Section 11351.5

11351.5. Except as otherwise provided in this division, every person who possesses for sale or purchases for purposes of sale cocaine base which is specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 11054, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a period of three, four, or five years.

Health & Safety Code Section 11352

11352. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this division, every person who transports, imports into this state, sells, furnishes, administers, or gives away, or offers to transport, import into this state, sell, furnish, administer, or give away, or attempts to import into this state or transport (1) any controlled substance specified in subdivision (b), (c), or (e), or paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 11054, specified in paragraph (14), (15), or (20) of subdivision (d) of Section 11054, or specified in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 11055, or specified in subdivision (h) of Section 11056, or (2) any controlled substance classified in Schedule III, IV, or V which is a narcotic drug, unless upon the written prescription of a physician, dentist, podiatrist, or veterinarian licensed to practice in this state, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, four, or five years.
(b) Notwithstanding the penalty provisions of subdivision (a), any person who transports for sale any controlled substances specified in subdivision (a) within this state from one county to another noncontiguous county shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or nine years.

Health & Safety Code Section 11352.1

11352.1. (a) The Legislature hereby declares that the dispensing and furnishing of prescription drugs, controlled substances, and dangerous drugs or dangerous devices without a license poses a significant threat to the health, safety, and welfare of all persons residing in the state. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this provision to enhance the penalties attached to this illicit and dangerous conduct. <br> (b) Notwithstanding Section 4321 of the Business and Professions Code, and in addition to any other penalties provided by law, any person who knowingly and unlawfully dispenses or furnishes a dangerous drug or dangerous device, or any material represented as, or presented in lieu of, any dangerous drug or dangerous device, as defined in Section 4022 of the Business and Professions Code, or who knowingly owns, manages, or operates a business that dispenses or furnishes a dangerous drug or dangerous device or any material represented as, or presented in lieu of, any dangerous drug or dangerous device, as defined in Section 4022 of the Business and Professions Code without a license to dispense or furnish these products, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Upon the first conviction, each violation shall be punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment. Upon a second or subsequent conviction, each violation shall be punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

Health & Safety Code Section 11352.5
11352.5. The court shall impose a fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), in the absence of a finding that the defendant would be incapable of paying such a fine, in addition to any term of imprisonment provided by law for any of the following persons:
(1) Any person who is convicted of violating Section 11351 of the Health and Safety Code by possessing for sale 14.25 grams or more of a substance containing heroin.
(2) Any person who is convicted of violating Section 11352 of the Health and Safety Code by selling or offering to sell 14.25 grams or more of a substance containing heroin.
(3) Any person convicted of violating Section 11351 of the Health and Safety Code by possessing heroin for sale or convicted of violating Section 11352 of the Health and Safety Code by selling or offering to sell heroin, and who has one or more prior convictions for violating Section 11351 or Section 11352 of the Health and Safety Code. 

Health & Safety Code Section 11055

(a) The controlled substances listed in this section are included in Schedule II.

(b) Any of the following substances, except those narcotic drugs listed in other schedules, whether produced directly or indirectly by extraction from substances of vegetable origin, or independently by means of chemical synthesis, or by combination of extraction and chemical synthesis:
(1) Opium, opiate, and any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation of opium or opiate, with the exception of naloxone hydrochloride (N-allyl-14-hydroxy-nordihydromorphinone hydrochloride), but including the following:
(A) Raw opium.
(B) Opium extracts.
(C) Opium fluid extracts.
(D) Powdered opium.
(E) Granulated opium.
(F) Tincture of opium.
(G) Apomorphine.
(H) Codeine.
(I) Ethylmorphine.
(J) Hydrocodone.
(K) Hydromorphone.
(L) Metopon.
(M) Morphine.
(N) Oxycodone.
(O) Oxymorphone.
(P) Thebaine.
(2) Any salt, compound, isomer, or derivative, whether natural or synthetic, of the substances referred to in paragraph (1), but not including the isoquinoline alkaloids of opium.
(3) Opium poppy and poppy straw.
(4) Coca leaves and any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation of coca leaves, but not including decocainized coca leaves or extractions which do not contain cocaine or ecgonine.
(5) Concentrate of poppy straw (the crude extract of poppy straw in either liquid, solid, or powder form which contains the phenanthrene alkaloids of the opium poppy).
(6) Cocaine, except as specified in Section 11054.
(7) Ecgonine, whether natural or synthetic, or any salt, isomer, derivative, or preparation thereof.

(c) Opiates. Unless specifically excepted or unless in another schedule, any of the following opiates, including its isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, esters, and ethers whenever the existence of those isomers, esters, ethers, and salts is possible within the specific chemical designation, dextrorphan and levopropoxyphene excepted:
(1) Alfentanyl.
(2) Alphaprodine.
(3) Anileridine.
(4) Bezitramide.
(5) Bulk dextropropoxyphene (nondosage forms).
(6) Dihydrocodeine.
(7) Diphenoxylate.
(8) Fentanyl.
(9) Isomethadone.
(10) Levoalphacetylmethadol, also known as levo-alpha-acetylmethadol, levomethadyl acetate, or LAAM. This substance is authorized for the treatment of narcotic addicts under federal law (see Part 291 (commencing with Section 291.501) and Part 1308 (commencing with Section 1308.01) of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations).
(11) Levomethorphan.
(12) Levorphanol.
(13) Metazocine.
(14) Methadone.
(15) Methadone-Intermediate, 4-cyano-2-dimethylamino-4, 4-diphenyl butane.
(16) Moramide-Intermediate, 2-methyl-3-morpholino-1, 1-diphenylpropane-carboxylic acid.
(17) Pethidine (meperidine).
(18) Pethidine-Intermediate-A, 4-cyano-1-methyl-4-phenylpiperidine.
(19) Pethidine-Intermediate-B, ethyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylate.
(20) Pethidine-Intermediate-C, 1-methyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid.
(21) Phenazocine.
(22) Piminodine.
(23) Racemethorphan.
(24) Racemorphan.
(25) Sufentanyl.

(d) Stimulants. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances having a stimulant effect on the central nervous system:
(1) Amphetamine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of its optical isomers.
(2) Methamphetamine, its salts, isomers, and salts of its isomers.
(3) Dimethylamphetamine (N,N-dimethylamphetamine), its salts, isomers, and salts of its isomers.
(4) N-Ethylmethamphetamine (N-ethyl, N-methylamphetamine), its salts, isomers, and salts of its isomers.
(5) Phenmetrazine and its salts.
(6) Methylphenidate.

(e) Depressants. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances having a depressant effect on the central nervous system, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers whenever the existence of those salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is possible within the specific chemical designation:
(1) Amobarbital.
(2) Pentobarbital.
(3) Phencyclidines, including the following:
(A) 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl) piperidine (PCP).
(B) 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl) morpholine (PCM).
(C) Any analog of phencyclidine which is added by the Attorney General by regulation pursuant to this paragraph. The Attorney General, or his or her designee, may, by rule or regulation, add additional analogs of phencyclidine to those enumerated in this paragraph after notice, posting, and hearing pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The Attorney General shall, in the calendar year of the regular session of the Legislature in which the rule or regulation is adopted, submit a draft of a proposed bill to each house of the Legislature which would incorporate the analogs into this code. No rule or regulation shall remain in effect beyond January 1 after the calendar year of the regular session in which the draft of the proposed bill is submitted to each house. However, if the draft of the proposed bill is submitted during a recess of the Legislature exceeding 45 calendar days, the rule or regulation shall be effective until January 1 after the next calendar year.
(4) Secobarbital.
(5) Glutethimide.

(f) Immediate precursors. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances:
(1) Immediate precursor to amphetamine and methamphetamine:
(A) Phenylacetone. Some trade or other names: phenyl-2 propanone; P2P; benzyl methyl ketone; methyl benzyl ketone.
(2) Immediate precursors to phencyclidine (PCP):
(A) 1-phenylcyclohexylamine.
(B) 1-piperidinocyclohexane carbonitrile (PCC).

Health & Safety Code Section 11056

(a) The controlled substances listed in this section are included in Schedule III.

(b) Stimulants. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances having a stimulant effect on the central nervous system, including its salts, isomers (whether optical, position, or geometric), and salts of those isomers whenever the existence of those salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is possible within the specific chemical designation:
(1) Those compounds, mixtures, or preparations in dosage unit form containing any stimulant substances listed in Schedule II which compounds, mixtures, or preparations were listed on August 25, 1971, as excepted compounds under Section 1308.32 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and any other drug of the quantitative composition shown in that list for those drugs or which is the same except that it contains a lesser quantity of controlled substances.
(2) Benzphetamine.
(3) Chlorphentermine.
(4) Clortermine.
(5) Mazindol.
(6) Phendimetrazine.

(c) Depressants. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances having a depressant effect on the central nervous system:
(1) Any compound, mixture, or preparation containing any of the following:
(A) Amobarbital
(B) Secobarbital
(C) Pentobarbital or any salt thereof and one or more other active medicinal ingredients which are not listed in any schedule.
(2) Any suppository dosage form containing any of the following:
(A) Amobarbital
(B) Secobarbital
(C) Pentobarbital or any salt of any of these drugs and approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for marketing only as a suppository.
(3) Any substance which contains any quantity of a derivative of barbituric acid or any salt thereof.
(4) Chlorhexadol.
(5) Lysergic acid.
(6) Lysergic acid amide.
(7) Methyprylon.
(8) Sulfondiethylmethane.
(9) Sulfonethylmethane.
(10) Sulfonmethane.
(11) Gamma hydroxybutyric acid, and its salts, isomers and salts of isomers, contained in a drug product for which an application has been approved under Section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 355).

(d) Nalorphine.

(e) Narcotic drugs. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing any of the following narcotic drugs, or their salts calculated as the free anhydrous base or alkaloid, in limited quantities as set forth below:
(1) Not more than 1.8 grams of codeine per 100 milliliters or not more than 90 milligrams per dosage unit, with an equal or greater quantity of an isoquinoline alkaloid of opium.
(2) Not more than 1.8 grams of codeine per 100 milliliters or not more than 90 milligrams per dosage unit, with one or more active, nonnarcotic ingredients in recognized therapeutic amounts.
(3) Not more than 300 milligrams of dihydrocodeinone per 100 milliliters or not more than 15 milligrams per dosage unit, with a fourfold or greater quantity of an isoquinoline alkaloid of opium.
(4) Not more than 300 milligrams of dihydrocodeinone per 100 milliliters or not more than 15 milligrams per dosage unit, with one or more active nonnarcotic ingredients in recognized therapeutic amounts. Additionally, oral liquid preparations of dihydrocodeinone containing the above specified amounts may not contain as its nonnarcotic ingredients two or more antihistamines in combination with each other.
(5) Not more than 1.8 grams of dihydrocodeine per 100 milliliters or not more than 90 milligrams per dosage unit, with one or more active nonnarcotic ingredients in recognized therapeutic amounts.
(6) Not more than 300 milligrams of ethylmorphine per 100 milliliters or not more than 15 milligrams per dosage unit, with one or more active, nonnarcotic ingredients in recognized therapeutic amounts.
(7) Not more than 500 milligrams of opium per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams or not more than 25 milligrams per dosage unit, with one or more active, nonnarcotic ingredients in recognized therapeutic amounts.
(8) Not more than 50 milligrams of morphine per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams, with one or more active, nonnarcotic ingredients in recognized therapeutic amounts.

(f) Anabolic steroids and chorionic gonadotropin. Any material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing chorionic gonadotropin or an anabolic steroid (excluding anabolic steroid products listed in the "Table of Exempt Anabolic Steroid Products" (Section 1308.34 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations), as exempt from the federal Controlled Substances Act (Section 801 and following of Title 21 of the United States Code)), including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Androisoxazole.
(2) Androstenediol.
(3) Bolandiol.
(4) Bolasterone.
(5) Boldenone.
(6) Chlormethandienone.
(7) Clostebol.
(8) Dihydromesterone.
(9) Ethylestrenol.
(10) Fluoxymesterone.
(11) Formyldienolone.
(12) 4-Hydroxy-19-nortestosterone.
(13) Mesterolone.
(14) Methandriol.
(15) Methandrostenolone.
(16) Methenolone.
(17) 17-Methyltestosterone.
(18) Methyltrienolone.
(19) Nandrolone.
(20) Norbolethone.
(21) Norethandrolone.
(22) Normethandrolone.
(23) Oxandrolone.
(24) Oxymestrone.
(25) Oxymetholone.
(26) Quinbolone.
(27) Stanolone.
(28) Stanozolol.
(29) Stenbolone.
(30) Testosterone.
(31) Trenbolone.
(32) Chorionic Gonadotropin (HGC).

(g) Ketamine. Any material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing ketamine.

(h) Hallucinogenic substances. Any of the following hallucinogenic substances: dronabinol (synthetic) in sesame oil and encapsulated in a soft gelatin capsule in a drug product approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Health & Safety Code Section 11057

(a) The controlled substances listed in this section are included in Schedule IV.

(b) Schedule IV shall consist of the drugs and other substances, by whatever official name, common or usual name, chemical name, or brand name designated, listed in this section.

(c) Narcotic drugs. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing any of the following narcotic drugs, or their salts calculated as the free anhydrous base or alkaloid, in limited quantities as set forth below:
(1) Not more than 1 milligram of difenoxin and not less than 25 micrograms of atropine sulfate per dosage unit.
(2) Dextropropoxyphene (alpha-(+)-4-dimethylamino-1, 2-diphenyl-3-methyl-2-propionoxybutane).
(3) Butorphanol.

(d) Depressants. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers whenever the existence of those salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is possible within the specific chemical designation:
(1) Alprazolam.
(2) Barbital.
(3) Chloral betaine.
(4) Chloral hydrate.
(5) Chlordiazepoxide.
(6) Clobazam.
(7) Clonazepam.
(8) Clorazepate.
(9) Diazepam.
(10) Estazolam.
(11) Ethchlorvynol.
(12) Ethinamate.
(13) Flunitrazepam.
(14) Flurazepam.
(15) Halazepam.
(16) Lorazepam.
(17) Mebutamate.
(18) Meprobamate.
(19) Methohexital.
(20) Methylphenobarbital (Mephobarbital).
(21) Midazolam.
(22) Nitrazepam.
(23) Oxazepam.
(24) Paraldehyde.
(25) Petrichoral.
(26) Phenobarbital.
(27) Prazepam.
(28) Quazepam.
(29) Temazepam.
(30) Triazolam.
(31) Zaleplon.
(32) Zolpidem.

(e) Fenfluramine. Any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances, including its salts, isomers (whether optical, position, or geometric), and salts of those isomers, whenever the existence of those salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is possible:
(1) Fenfluramine.

(f) Stimulants. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances having a stimulant effect on the central nervous system, including its salts, isomers (whether optical, position, or geometric), and salts of those isomers is possible within the specific chemical designation:
(1) Diethylpropion.
(2) Mazindol.
(3) Modafinil.
(4) Phentermine.
(5) Pemoline (including organometallic complexes and chelates thereof).
(6) Pipradrol.
(7) SPA ((-)-1-dimethylamino-1,2-diphenylethane).

(g) Other substances. Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains any quantity of pentazocine, including its salts.

Health & Safety Code Section 11058

(a) The controlled substances listed in this section are included in Schedule V.

(b) Schedule V shall consist of the drugs and other substances, by whatever official name, common or usual name, chemical name, or brand name designated, listed in this section.

(c) Narcotic drugs containing nonnarcotic active medicinal ingredients. Any compound, mixture, or preparation containing any of the following narcotic drugs, or their salts calculated as the free anhydrous base or alkaloid, in limited quantities as set forth below, which shall include one or more nonnarcotic active medicinal ingredients in sufficient proportion to confer upon the compound, mixture, or preparation valuable medicinal qualities other than those possessed by narcotic drugs alone:
(1) Not more than 200 milligrams of codeine per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams.
(2) Not more than 100 milligrams of dihydrocodeine per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams.
(3) Not more than 100 milligrams of ethylmorphine per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams.
(4) Not more than 2.5 milligrams of diphenoxylate and not less than 25 micrograms of atropine sulfate per dosage unit.
(5) Not more than 100 milligrams of opium per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams.
(6) Not more than 0.5 milligram of difenoxin and not less than 25 micrograms of atropine sulfate per dosage unit.

(d) Buprenorphine.

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