Scheduled Drugs (U.S.)

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 is the foundation of contemporary U.S. drug control policy. The CSA, part of the [Page 1266]omnibus Comprehensive Drug Abuse and Prevention Act, divides most psychoactive drugs into five regulatory schedules. The Department of Justice is largely responsible for classifying drugs in this framework based on their potential for abuse, medical utility, and how safely they can be consumed. Schedule I drugs, for example, are characterized as having high potential for abuse, no recognized medical value, and no acceptably safe method of consumption. Schedule II drugs similarly maintain a high abuse potential but are permissible under medical supervision. Schedules III, IV, and V list drugs with diminishing capacities for physical or psychological dependence.

The DEA defines Schedule I drugs as ...