Anabolic steroids are bigger news every day. Under the new Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004, which applies across the country (as of January 20, 2005), steroids and steroid precursors (such as "andro") are in the same legal class -- Schedule III -- as barbiturates, LSD precursors, veterinary tranquilizers like ketamine and narcotic painkillers like Vicodin. Simple possession is a federal offense punishable by up to one year in prison and/or a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first offense. Selling steroids, or possessing them with intent to sell, is a federal felony. An individual who sells steroids, or possesses them with intent to sell, is punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine for a first offense.

If you've been arrested for an anabolic steroid case, or if you've tested positive for anabolic steroids, hire a lawyer who knows about anabolic steroid cases. A knowledgeable and experienced defense attorney is essential to obtaining the best possible result in any criminal or administrative matter. Few state or local police, federal agents, prosecutors, judges or defense attorneys are educated about the substances themselves or the fine points of the laws. It's not uncommon for offense laws and sentencing guidelines to be misapplied. Moreover, the endless misinformation and propaganda reported in the mainstream press about steroids and their adverse effects has severely biased the beliefs of those in the criminal justice system. A prosecutor whose knowledge of anabolic steroids is based on what has been printed in the lay press may be inclined to offer an inappropriately severe plea, or a judge may be inclined to impose an unduly harsh sentence.

The lawyers at Collins, McDonald & Gann, P.C., know about anabolic steroid cases. They've handled more of them than any law firm in America. They understand what anabolic steroids are, how they compare with and differ from recreational drugs, how they affect the body and mind, and how and why they came to become classified as controlled substances. They've been consulted on literally hundreds of anabolic steroid cases throughout the United States and even in foreign countries. They work with criminal defense attorneys from coast to coast to make sure steroid cases are handled with knowledge and insight. CMG partner Rick Collins, Esq., is recognized as one of the nation's foremost authorities on steroids and the law. A former competitive bodybuilder and certified personal trainer, he offers a unique understanding of the bodybuilding community. Bodybuilders, Olympic and professional athletes, sports coaches and trainers, criminal lawyers, physicians, pharmacists, military servicemen, and even police officers from across America have paid for the opportunity to access Rick Collins' encyclopedic knowledge of anabolic steroids and their legal nuances and consequences. He is a sought-after lecturer, and has been invited to speak at numerous events and conferences. He lectured on mucle-building drugs at the 2004 Olympia Expo, on the "Legal Issues and Implications of Testosterone and HGH THerapy" at the 12th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine 2004, on performance-enhancing supplements at the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2004 Annual Conference, and on doping issues in college sports at a 2005 Conference on Sports Law and Ethics entitled "Winning at All Costs: Today's Addiction" sponsored by the Valparaiso University School of Law and featuring broadcaster Bob Costas as keynote speaker. His book, Legal Muscle, has been reviewed as the most important book ever written about steroids."

If you've been arrested for anabolic steroids, ancillary bodybuilding medications, or "misbranded" or "unapproved" drugs, feel free to call Collins, McDonald & Gann, P.C., for further information. CMG also handles a variety of "alternative" or "health" drug cases with connections to fitness or bodybuilding. Rick Collins has successfully defended highly publicized cases involving 1,4-butanediol, a substance commonly sold as a cleaning solution but alleged by the government to be an analogue of GHB, and human growth hormone.

Rick Collins and his law partners are committed to defending those who are prosecuted for substances related to building muscle. CMG partners are admitted to practice in the New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Texas State courts, the courts of the District of Columbia, the Federal Courts of the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the Western District of Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Services and the United States Supreme Court. Rick Collins and his team of "legal muscle" will promptly respond to questions from anyone being investigated for or charged with a crime related to anabolic steroids. Where appropriate, a referral will be made to qualified counsel in another jurisdiction to assist in the matter.

The firm of Collins, McDonald and Gann, P.C., is available at 516-294-0300. CMG can be reached 24 hours, 7 days a week for emergencies. Other phone inquiries regarding our representation are best answered weekdays between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. eastern time, or by email to info@cmgesq.com. The firm also handles a variety of other matters on behalf of those in the bodybuilding, health and fitness community. Along with California lawyer Alan Feldstein, Esq., the firm counsels numerous companies in the growing market of sports nutrition supplements.

Despite the media hoopla over steroids in professional athletics, the truth is that most of the people getting arrested today for anabolic steroids are more like your friends and neighbors than million-dollar sports stars. They are otherwise law-abiding mature adults who have elected to self-administer steroids for personal cosmetic improvement, not to cheat in sports. For more information generally about steroids and the law, visit SteroidLaw.com.