Buying anabolic steroids is not illegal per se. These are being used as a treatment in many medical conditions. However, it becomes unlawful to buy or possess the drug if it is used for other purposes such as bodybuilding and improving skills in sports. Steroids are controlled substances so a prescription is generally required before you can buy one. However, up to this time, many are still confused about the legality of buying and possessing steroids.

Bodybuilder Using Steroids Charged

A bodybuilder from the UK recently pleaded guilty to illegal possession of anabolic steroids after he found out that the law prohibits its use for non-medical purposes. A Wiltshire newspaper reported that bodybuilder Graham McAdams initially pleaded not guilty to the offense because he believed importation and possession of anabolic steroids for personal use is not illegal. McAdams even cited an online drugs education website explaining that steroids possession is not a crime.

McAdams was charged for illegal possession of Class C drugs after the police raided his home last year. The raid resulted to the seizure of several types of anabolic steroids. The Wiltshire.co.uk website reported that authorities confiscated various steroids from McAdams’ residence in October last year.

Various Bodybuilding Steroids Found

Several boxes and pills were found by the raiding officers which were identified as anabolic steroids. The report stated that more than 20 boxes of steroids including more than 500 pills, and several vials were seized from McAdams. There were 15 boxes of different liquid steroids like testosterone, drostanolone, nandrolone, and boldenone. More than 500 caplets of Stanozolol were also found. 400 of these caplets contain the label Stromba 10. Another 8 boxes were identified as testosterone and several vials of Sustanol, another brand of testosterone.

According to the prosecution, all of the drugs confiscated by the authorities are Class C drugs. Prosecutor Richard Thomas confirmed that these substances are commonly used by bodybuilders and athletes to improve performance and physique. However, possession of these substances is still unlawful. This is aside from the health and behavior problems it can cause to the user.

Defendant Competing in Bodybuilding Events

The authorities are convinced that the steroids were for personal use of McAdams because he is active in bodybuilding competitions. Most of the steroids are used to build lean muscles. Nevertheless, he was still charged with seven counts of class C drugs possession.

The lawyer of McAdams told the court that the information on a government website is confusing. “The guidelines by the Government stated it was legal for him to possess it if it was a medical product,” said Amanda Thornton, lawyer of McAdams.

Although she admitted that as the case progresses, they learned that the use of anabolic steroids for bodybuilding is not considered as a valid medical treatment. This is the reason why they decided to plead guilty to the charges. The court sentenced McAdams to 12-month conditional discharge and required him to pay a fine of £85.

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