# Drugs in the mail **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354 "2004-08-04T21:46:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChristineJellyBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@ChristineJellyBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChristineJellyBean)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/1 "2004-08-04T21:46:43Z")
I know you can’t send like weed and stuff in the mail but what about a couple of pills that were perscribed to someone else? Like a sleeping pill or something in a envelope. How could they find out if it is can dogs smell pills and do they even have dogs smelling mail? ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/2 "2004-08-04T22:20:09Z")
Be careful. It is a crime to dispense prescription drugs to someone other than the person for who they were prescribed. Furthermore, if the drugs are schedule II, meaning controlled substances with potential for abuse (like painkillers), then the fines are even greater. And then, if you use the US Postal service to commit such a crime, or travel across state lines in order to do so, you are committing a federal offense. And if you are looking for advice on how to commit a crime, the moderators will likely smite thee and thy thread. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/3 "2004-08-04T22:56:43Z")
She’s not asking for advice on how to mail illegal drugs–she’s asking for advice on how to mail prescription drugs, which are legal. It is legal to mail prescription drugs. [http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm/C024.htm](http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm/C024.htm) > [@](#): > > 11.0 Controlled Substances > 11.1 Definition > > A controlled substance means any anabolic steroid, narcotic, hallucinogenic, stimulant, or depressant drug in Schedules I through V of the Controlled Substances Act, 21 USC 801, et seq., and 21 CFR 1300, et seq. > > If distribution of a controlled substance is unlawful under 21 USC 801, et seq., and any implementing regulation in 21 CFR 1300, et seq., then distribution of such matter by mail also is unlawful under 18 USC 1716. > > 11.2 Mailing Standards > > If distribution of a controlled substance is lawful under 21 USC 801, et seq., and any implementing regulation in 21 CFR 1300, et seq., the USPS considers such distribution by mail to constitute the mailing of matter not outwardly or of its own force dangerous or injurious to a person’s life or health and accordingly mailable, subject to these standards: > > a. The inner container of any package containing controlled substances is marked and sealed under the applicable provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC 801, et seq., and any implementing regulation in 21 CFR 1300, et seq.) and placed in a plain outer mailing container or securely overwrapped in plain paper. > > b. If the mailing includes prescription drugs containing controlled substances, the inner container is also labeled to show the prescription number and the name and address of the pharmacy, practitioner, or other person dispensing the prescription. > > c. The outer mailing wrapper or container is free of markings that indicate the nature of the content. Did you follow all that, CJB? It’s very simple: if the drug in question would be illegal for you to use, then it’s illegal to mail it. But if it’s legal for you to use, then it’s legal to mail it. And you have to follow the USPS rules about wrapping and marking the package. For some reason they don’t want you to write “DRUGS” or even “MEDICINE” on the outside, probably because it might lead to employee pilfering. And if the sleeping pills in question contain a controlled substance, like codeine, it has to be labeled on the inside as indicated. List of controlled substances. [http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/schedules.htm](http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/schedules.htm) ---
**Author:** ![ChristineJellyBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@ChristineJellyBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChristineJellyBean)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/4 "2004-08-04T23:25:54Z")
I don’t want to get in any trouble with this site I was just curious ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/5 "2004-08-04T23:28:49Z")
Well, you’re not liable to get in any _real_ trouble, just subjected to a bit of formal advice. The phrase “prescribed to someone else” is confusing. Are you saying you want to send prescription drugs to the person for whom they are prescribed? Or are they prescribed for you and you want to dispense them to a third party? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/6 "2004-08-04T23:49:46Z")
> [@Duck Duck Goose](#): > > Did you follow all that, CJB? It’s very simple: if the drug in question would be illegal for you to use, then it’s illegal to mail it. But if it’s legal for you to use, then it’s legal to mail it. It doesn’t say that _at all_. What you’ve quoted are postal regulations, and they’re only saying they don’t have jurisdiction if the drug in question is legal to ship under the referenced regulations, then as far as the USPS is concerned, they’ll handle it. However, if you read through [21 CFR 1300, _et seq._](http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/cfr/) you’ll see there’s a whole bunch of regulations for shipping controlled substances, including the requirement for having permits for controlled substance distribution. ---
**Author:** ![ChristineJellyBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@ChristineJellyBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChristineJellyBean)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/7 "2004-08-05T00:16:59Z")
ok heres the deal my friend who lives in Florida is sending me 4 sleeping pills that are perscribed to her grandfather. He said it was fine and that she could send them to me. I’m going to California soon (I live NY) and I’ve never been on a plane before and I’m so scared but thought they may help relax me. They are already on the way she taped them to a sheet of paper and then wraped like 5 sheets around that so it just feels like a long letter. I’m wondering if there is any way they could find out. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/8 "2004-08-05T01:44:59Z")
Well, it’s technically illegal, but the quantities involved are not likely to raise any huge red flags… the feds are looking for people shipping hundreds and thousands of pills… not four. That said, if a postal inspector or the local police wanted to make an example of you, they could. But the chances are very, very slim. Furthermore, using sleeping pills to calm the anxiety of flying isn’t the best thing… I’d smoke a joint. 😉 No, seriously… it is possible to detect the kind of arrangment your friend used. However, they don’t use dogs, just people. The machines they use are tuned to detect illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin, etc… as well as dangerous substances like anthrax. They can’t afford to scan every letter for every prescription drug. But if a postal worker felt the envelope looked suspicious, they would give it to an inspector who would x-ray or open it. As for what they’d do if they found four pills taped to a letter, I don’t know… what does the letter say? The consequences really depend on the attitude of the inspector and how good or bad a day he or she was having. Overall, it’s not a very wise thing to do. You and your friend could indeed be prosecuted, technically speaking. But sleeping pills aren’t on most peoples’ panic list unless you live in a community that is very conservative. I recommend you avoid such transactions using the mail in the future. They sell some effective sleep aids over the counter if that’s what you want. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/9 "2004-08-05T01:49:57Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > However, they don’t use dogs, just people. Oops… bad phrasing. I meant to say that the dogs they use can’t sniff out just any old pills. The dogs are trained for pot, cocaine, heroin, etc. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drugs-in-the-mail/258354/10 "2004-08-05T02:02:19Z")
**Christine**. We’re glad to have you here. You’ve gotten some good answers from the posters. **bughunter** summed it up nicely. > [@](#): > > I recommend you avoid such transactions using the mail in the future. They sell some effective sleep aids over the counter if that’s what you want. Taking any medicine prescribed for someone else is always risky. Just say no. 🙂 Good luck on your flight. This thread is closed. **samclem** GQ moderator