Legally, only doctor’s offices, and pharmacies are allowed to sell drugs of any class. The exception to this is tobacco and alcohol. However, even they have regulations in place. The establishment needs to have a pharmacy license in order to order the drugs, and sell them to the patient. Entities without a pharmacy license selling drugs will be doing so illegally. It is not illegal to have a drug that was sold to you, but it is illegal to sell without a license. Therefore, someone possessing fentanyl will not be committing a crime, but someone selling fentanyl will be committing a crime. The higher the class drug, the more severe the consequences are, and therefore the longer the likely sentence will be.
The law will be written this way as most people possessing drugs they are not prescribed for is likely having a drug addiction problem. You are not thrown in jail because you are an alcoholic, so why should you be thrown in jail because you are drug addict? Instead this is a health crisis, and intervention and treatment is more likely to do more good than criminalizing an addict. Instead, the drug dealer is the one committing a crime, and full penalties should be applied to them.
All prescriptions must be sent electronically. Also, if there are 2 prescriptions of the same drug, a red flag will be raised, and a possible investigation by the HHS will have to be performed. This is done to prevent doctor shopping which is when the patient gains multiple drugs to self treat their issues. This is likely to get 2 opioid prescriptions when the patient is addicted to opioids.
Alcohol, and Tobacco
First sellers must have a sellers license. This is intended to make it as hard as possible for someone to buy the mentioned product, and there should be limits. Bars with a license will be allowed to sell alcohol, and tobacco. It is up to them if they wish to sell to go. Liquor stores will be allowed to sell, but will not have seating to consume on sight. This is to provide friction and make it as inconvenient as possible.
To sell tobacco, you must also receive a license to sell. Tobacco will be behind the counter, and the customer has to ask for what they want. Any location that sells food (with exception of bars) will not be allowed to sell tobacco.
In addition, the person must have a license to buy alcohol or tobacco. This will allow a physician to make a medical exemption in acquiring a license to consume alcohol or tobacco. The cashier must insert their ID card into the verification terminal to see that they have a license to buy, and that license expiration date. A consumption license is $250 per year for either, and $400 for both. Anyone caught selling alcohol or tobacco without a license can face a fine, and or jail time. They can also get their license to buy revoked. This is to cause as much friction as possible for buying, and selling these items. Someone turning 18 might not see the value of buying these items especially learning how it harms the body. They will likely not find any worth in acquiring a buyer’s license.