
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is a federal law that places all substances regulated under existing federal law into one of five schedules. The schedules are based on the substance's medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability. The CSA establishes a federal policy to regulate the manufacturing, distribution, importation, exportation, and use of controlled substances. It also lays the framework for categorizing these substances and creates a legal foundation for their regulation. The CSA was enacted in 1970 and has since undergone several amendments, including the 2010 Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act and the 2017 Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plays a crucial role in enforcing the CSA and initiating proceedings to add, delete, or change the schedule of a drug.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the law | Controlled Substances Act (CSA) |
| Year enacted | 1970 |
| Number of schedules | 5 |
| Basis for placement in a schedule | Medical use, potential for abuse, safety, and dependence liability |
| Amendments | 2010 Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act, 2017 Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act, Federal Analogue Act |
| Initiation of proceedings to add, delete, or change the schedule of a drug | Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or petition from any interested party |
| Example of a Schedule I drug | Marijuana (cannabis) |
| Example of a Schedule IV drug | Xanax |
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What You'll Learn

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA)
The CSA consists of two subchapters. Subchapter I defines Schedules I–V, lists chemicals used in the manufacture of controlled substances, and differentiates between lawful and unlawful manufacturing, distribution, and possession of controlled substances, including possession of Schedule I drugs for personal use. It also specifies the fines and prison terms for violations. Subchapter II describes the laws for the exportation and importation of controlled substances, again specifying fines and prison terms for violations.
The CSA was created in 1969 by Attorney General John N. Mitchell, with the help of White House Counsel head John Dean, the executive director of the Shafer Commission, Michael Sonnenreich, and the Director of the BNDD, John Ingersoll. The law was created to address the narcotic and dangerous drug problems at the federal level by combining all existing federal laws into a single statute.
The CSA has been amended several times, including in 2010 with the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act, which allowed pharmacies to operate take-back programs for controlled substance medications in response to the US opioid epidemic. In 2017, the act was amended again with the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act (PPAEMA), which included DEA registration for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) agencies and requirements for the maintenance and administration of controlled substances used by EMS agencies.
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Scheduling criteria
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) places all substances that are regulated under federal law into one of five schedules. The scheduling criteria are based on the substance's medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability.
Schedule I drugs are defined as substances with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Examples include heroin, LSD, marijuana (cannabis), ecstasy, methaqualone, and peyote. Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and can lead to severe psychological and/or physical dependence.
Schedule II drugs are defined as having a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological and/or physical dependence. The abuse potential decreases as the schedule number increases.
Schedule III drugs are defined as having a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Examples include products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone.
Schedule IV drugs are defined as having a low potential for abuse and a low risk of dependence. Examples include Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan, Talwin, Ambien, and Tramadol.
Schedule V drugs have the lowest potential for abuse and consist of preparations containing limited quantities of certain narcotics.
The CSA also allows for the regulation of chemicals that are precursors to controlled substances, such as the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act, which restricted the sale of products containing precursor chemicals to amphetamines or methamphetamine. Additionally, the CSA provides a mechanism for substances to be controlled (added or transferred between schedules) or decontrolled (removed from control). Proceedings to add, delete, or change the schedule of a drug can be initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or by petition from any interested party, including the manufacturer of a drug or a medical society.
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Schedule I drugs
The Federal Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, also known as the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), categorises substances into five schedules. The placement of a substance in one of the five schedules is based on its medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability.
Some examples of Schedule I drugs are heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote. It is important to note that a substance need not be listed as a controlled substance to be treated as a Schedule I substance for criminal prosecution.
The maintenance of cannabis's Schedule I classification has been controversial, with many calling for a reclassification or holistic federal decriminalisation. As of April 30, 2024, the DEA planned to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III controlled substance.
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Schedule II drugs
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) places all substances that were in some manner regulated under existing federal law into five schedules. This placement is based on the substance's medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability.
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
- Methadone (Dolophine)
- Meperidine (Demerol)
- Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet)
- Fentanyl (Sublimaze, Duragesic)
- Morphine
- Opium
- Codeine
- Hydrocodone
- Cocaine
- Methamphetamine
- Adderall
- Ritalin
Proceedings to add, delete, or change the schedule of a drug or other substance may be initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or by petition from any interested party, including the manufacturer of a drug, a medical society, or association. The DEA may begin an investigation of a drug at any time based on information received from laboratories, state and local law enforcement, and regulatory agencies. Once the DEA has collected the necessary data, the Deputy Administrator of the DEA requests a scientific and medical evaluation and recommendation from the Assistant Secretary of Health of HHS.
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Schedule III drugs
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) places all substances that are regulated under federal law into one of five schedules. The placement of a drug into a particular schedule is based on its medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability. Schedule III drugs are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. While Schedule III drugs have a lower abuse potential than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs, they have a higher abuse potential than Schedule IV drugs.
Some examples of Schedule III drugs include products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone. These drugs are considered to have a moderate to low potential for abuse and dependence, but the abuse potential is still higher than that of Schedule IV drugs, which include drugs such as Xanax, Valium, and Tramadol.
The scheduling of a drug can be changed, and a substance need not be listed as a controlled substance to be treated as a Schedule I substance for criminal prosecution. Proceedings to add, delete, or change the schedule of a drug can be initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or by petition from any interested party, including the manufacturer of a drug or a medical society.
As of April 30, 2024, cannabis was set to be reclassified by the DEA from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III controlled substance. This reclassification reflects the widespread medicinal use of cannabis and the changing legal status of marijuana in various states, although it remains illegal under federal law.
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Frequently asked questions
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is a federal policy that regulates the manufacturing, distribution, importation, exportation, and use of controlled substances. It was established in 1970 and has since been amended several times.
The CSA categorizes controlled substances into five distinct schedules (I-V) based on their accepted medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have the highest potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, while Schedule V drugs have the lowest potential for abuse.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or any interested party, including drug manufacturers and medical societies, can initiate the process of adding, removing, or transferring drugs between schedules. The DEA collects data and requests a scientific and medical evaluation from the HHS before making a decision.
Yes, a substance need not be listed on the Schedules to be treated as a controlled substance for criminal prosecution. Substances that are substantially similar in structure or pharmacological effects to Schedule I or II drugs and are intended for human consumption may also be regulated.



































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