Penalty Group 1-A is LSD, and Texas is unusual in how it charges it: instead of weighing the drug in grams, the law counts "abuse units" — essentially the number of doses. Because a single blotter square counts as a unit, even a very small amount of LSD is a felony in Texas, and larger quantities carry some of the harshest ranges in the Controlled Substances Act.
If you or a loved one has been arrested for an LSD offense in Houston, Harris County, or Galveston, the charge is serious but very defensible. Brian Foley and Luis Baez are former prosecutors and experienced drug-defense attorneys.
What the Law Covers
Under Texas Health and Safety Code § 481.1151, it is an offense to knowingly or intentionally possess LSD without a valid prescription. Penalty Group 1-A was created specifically for LSD because it is dosed in micrograms and sold by the "hit," making weight-based charging impractical. Instead, the statute counts abuse units, including any adulterants and dilutants — meaning the blotter paper, gel, or sugar cube carrying the dose can be counted too.
The State must prove you exercised care, custody, control, or management over the LSD, that you did so knowingly, and that the substance was in fact LSD.
Penalty Range
| Amount (abuse units) | Offense Level | Punishment |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 20 units | State Jail Felony | 180 days – 2 years state jail; up to $10,000 fine |
| 20 to fewer than 80 units | Third-Degree Felony | 2 – 10 years prison; up to $10,000 fine |
| 80 to fewer than 4,000 units | Second-Degree Felony | 2 – 20 years prison; up to $10,000 fine |
| 4,000 to fewer than 8,000 units | First-Degree Felony | 5 – 99 years or life; up to $10,000 fine |
| 8,000 units or more | Enhanced First-Degree Felony | 15 – 99 years or life; up to $250,000 fine |
Because the abuse-unit total decides the felony level, how the State counts and tests the units can move a case across major sentencing lines. We scrutinize that count in every LSD case — and a drug-free-zone allegation or prior record can raise the range further.
How These Cases Are Defended
- Illegal search and seizure. If the stop, the warrant, or the "consent" was unlawful, we move to suppress the drugs — and the case often ends there.
- The abuse-unit count. We challenge how units were counted, whether the carrier medium was properly measured, and whether the lab's methodology holds up.
- Knowing possession and affirmative links. Presence near LSD is not possession. When it is found in a shared car, home, or festival setting, the State must prove you knew and controlled it.
- Lab analysis and chain of custody. Misidentification, degraded samples, and custody gaps all create reasonable doubt.
- Diversion, dismissal, and expunction. First-time offenders may qualify for programs that end in dismissal, and a dismissed case can be expunged.
Collateral Consequences
A felony LSD conviction can end careers, professional licenses, and access to housing and student aid, and it creates serious immigration consequences for non-citizens. Because so many LSD arrests involve young people and first-time offenders, protecting the future — and the record — is usually the heart of the case.
Related Charges
- Penalty Group 2 (ecstasy, MDMA, THC concentrate)
- Penalty Group 2-A (synthetic cannabinoids)
- Penalty Group 3
- Manufacture or Delivery of a Controlled Substance
- Possession With Intent to Deliver
Why HCDA
Brian Foley is Board Certified in Criminal Law, and both he and Luis Baez are former prosecutors who know how drug cases are built from the search to the lab report. If you or a loved one has been charged with an LSD offense in Houston, Harris County, or Galveston, contact Houston Criminal Defense Attorneys PLLC for a free, confidential consultation. Call or text (713) 703-1718.