Albert Arnold Gore III, the son of the former US Vice President Al Gore, pleaded guilty Monday to five counts of drug possession, two of which were felonies. He was sentenced to a nine-month drug treatment program.  

Orange County Superior Court Judge Jacob Jager said that the plea would be withdrawn and the charges expunged if Gore completes that program successfully by February 7.

Gore faces a potential three-year, eight-month prison term in case he does not successfully complete the drug treatment program.

On July 4, Albert Arnold Gore III was arrested in Orange County on suspicion of possessing marijuana pills. Initially he was pulled over by police for allegedly speeding at more than 160 kilometres per hour on a Los Angeles area highway in a Toyota Prius.

But the deputies smelled marijuana and searched the car. They discovered a small amount of marijuana and a variety of medications like Valium, Xanax, Vicodin, Soma and Adderall, for which he had no prescription.

Also he admitted smoking marijuana shortly before being stopped. The deputies decided not to charge him with DUI, as he was “no impaired”. After the arrest the 24-year-old was released on $20,000 bail some 12 hours later.

Gore has been at a live-in treatment center since his arrest, said Allan Stokke, his attorney.

"He's actually doing more than what other people do as far as treatment goes," Stokke added. "He's got great family support."

Albert Arnold Gore III is the only son of Al and Tipper Gore. Albert Arnold Gore III has been arrested before on suspicion of possessing marijuana, in 2003 when he was a student at Harvard University. Gore completed substance abuse counselling to settle those charges. In 2002 he was arrested for suspected drunken-driving.