About 6 million people illegally use anabolic steroids or human growth hormone every year, and can be punished for this crime. While prosecutions for steroid use are not as common, they are permissible and those that are caught using illegal steroids can be punished severely. State and federal laws both have different standards for punishing these crimes.

The steroids and HGH are both related as controlled substances. This means that it is illegal to possess or use them unless you have a legal right to do so. HGH can sometimes be used for medically prescribed purposes. Like narcotic painkillers, the steroids or hormones are permissible if they were prescribed by a doctor to improve the health of an individual. Most often, use of the drugs is punishable when they are being used for an illegal purpose or when they are being sold or distributed illegally. Penalties for steroid crimes tend to be issued when an individual is selling them or distributing them. While users can be punished for use and possession, these crimes normally generate lesser punishments.

State and federal law recognizes that these medications can be useful in some cases. This means that a doctor can prescribe them to a patient in some situations. Physicians, pharmacists, and others who provide medications can also be charged with steroid crimes though, if they operate a pill mill where they issue steroids without doctor's prescriptions. Pill mills are facilities that provide drugs to almost anyone who wants them without regarding whether or not the individual truly does need the drug.

Sometimes, steroid cases come out of issues regarding legal use and illegal possession. This happens when you may take a drug from a friend's house and use it for your own medical condition, despite the fact that you were never given a prescription. Only the person that is prescribed HGH or a steroid is allowed to use it, and not others that may discover the drug in a friend's medical cabinet.

The penalties for possession of or distribution of HGH and steroids can be stiff. For example, individuals can be incarcerated. A misdemeanor possession crime can result in up to one year in jail, and felony possession can last a year or more in prison. Convictions for distribution, sale, and possession with intent to sell can often result in prison sentence of up to five years or more depending on the circumstances of the case.

Also, fines for steroid and HGH crimes can be significant. Often possession conviction can result in fines of several thousand dollars. Fines for being involved in a pill mill or sale or distribution of prison sentences can result in up to $10,000 in penalties. Users and distributors can also be put on probation as a result of the crime. This can exceed three years, and during this time the person will be required to comply with all of the court's probation orders. Normally this involves abstaining from further use of HGH or steroids.

If you have been arrested for illegal steroid use or the use of HGH without a prescription, then you need to contact a lawyer right away. With the right attorney on your side, you will be able to seek justice in your case and defend yourself against allegations. You may be able to prove that you had a legal prescription for the drug that you used, or that your charges do not accurately represent the situation. Use this directory to find an aggressive and caring criminal defense attorney near you who can make the effort to prove your innocence.