Controlled Substances Act

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) (/kənˈtroʊld ˈsʌbstəns ækt/), is a statute that was established in the United States in 1970. The Act was created to regulate the manufacture, importation, possession, use, and distribution of certain substances.

Etymology

The term "Controlled Substances Act" is derived from the nature of the law itself. The Act was designed to control substances, particularly those that have a potential for abuse or addiction.

Overview

The Controlled Substances Act is part of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act. It was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on October 27, 1970. The CSA created five schedules (or classes) of substances, which were classified based on their potential for abuse, their currently accepted medical use, and their safety or dependence liability.

Schedules

The five schedules of the Controlled Substances Act are:

Schedule I substances are those that have a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.
Schedule II substances have a high potential for abuse, a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions, and abuse of the substance may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
Schedule III substances have a potential for abuse less than substances in Schedules I and II, and abuse may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.
Schedule IV substances have a low potential for abuse relative to substances in Schedule III.
Schedule V substances have a low potential for abuse relative to substances listed in Schedule IV and consist primarily of preparations containing limited quantities of certain narcotics.

Related Terms

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - The federal agency responsible for enforcing the Controlled Substances Act.
Narcotic - A drug that in moderate doses dulls the senses, relieves pain, and induces profound sleep but in excessive doses causes stupor, coma, or convulsions.
Drug abuse - The habitual taking of addictive or illegal drugs.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Controlled Substances Act
Wikipedia's article - Controlled Substances Act

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Controlled Substances Act