1. Schedule 1 Prescription Drugs

Drugs listed on the Schedule 2 narcotics list represent the highest grade prescription medications available. High grade pain relief medications make up the majority of drugs on the Schedule 2 narcotics list, though some stimulant prescription narcotics also appear on the list.

Any discussion on narcotics, prescription drugs, or other controlled substances is usually peppered with the word schedule. One substance may be Schedule I, while another is Schedule II, III, or IV. For an individual who is not familiar with controlled substances, the word may simply pass through the conversation without a second glance. To those who understand the drug industry, however, these phrases are paramount to understanding the type of substance being discussed. These terms are called drug classifications. Per the (DEA), medical professionals and law enforcement officials use drug classifications to delineate a substance’s legality, based on “the drug’s acceptable medical use and the drug’s abuse or dependency potential.” Simply put, classifications help to categorize current and developing drugs, which in turn helps lawmakers, law enforcers, and medical experts understand how best to handle a particular substance.

Schedule 1 Prescription Drugs

In this way, scheduling narcotics, prescription medications, and other drugs makes the industry safer for everyone. A History of the CSA Drug classifications have officially been in place since the 1970s, when President Nixon signed the (CSA) into law. However, the CSA is merely a chapter in the United States’ long and complicated history with addictive substances. The US has been striving to safely and effectively control drug use since the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

This act required food and drug manufactures to clearly label any product that contains dangerous substances – substances that included alcohol, morphine, opium, and cannabis. The act was amended numerous times over the six decades that followed, but the greatest change took effect in the early 1970s with the CSA. A companion to Nixon’s War on Drugs, the Controlled Substances Act gave the DEA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to determine which substances are fit for medical use.

The Classifications The drugs that are considered the most dangerous by the DEA are known as Schedule I substances. These are drugs with no current medical use, per analysis by the DEA and FDA. These substances also carry a high potential for abuse and addiction. How Scheduling Works How does the DEA and FDA know which drugs are safe and which aren’t? According to a report in, various studies on the drug’s effectiveness and risks are required and reviewed. Any drug entering the market must be analyzed, whether it is a new pharmaceutical or a street drug rising in popularity.

First, the DEA determines whether the drug can be abused. If the answer is “yes,” regardless of how low the probability may be, the drug moves forward in the scheduling system. At this stage, classification can become a little murky.

While any drug that is scheduled under the CSA has some potential for abuse, the probability for addiction is so vaguely defined that where a drug is scheduled depends largely on the evidence that research on the drug can yield. Drugs require large-scale clinical trials to showcase their medical merit and keep them out of Schedule I classification. If the evidence is strong enough, the DEA designates the drug in a lower schedule, which deems it acceptable for use. Mickey mouse cartoon videos youtube. Classification Controversies. Some drugs have been reclassified over the years. For example, in 2014, the reclassified the drug hydrocodone, moving it from Schedule III to Schedule II.

But on the whole, reclassification or unscheduling a substance is rather rare, and this has led to many controversies surrounding the Controlled Substances Act. The most well-known controversy surrounds marijuana, a Schedule I substance that many experts believe has only a low to moderate risk for addiction and could possess great medical benefits for individuals suffering from cancer and other serious conditions. Despite a growing body of evidence in support of reclassification, the DEA decided that marijuana would retain its Schedule I status in 2016. To many, this decision was considered a holdover from the War on Drugs mentality, in which any substance once deemed illicit can find no saving grace. Another CSA controversy surrounds specific language the act uses to exempt alcohol and cigarettes. Of the United States Code reads, “The term ‘controlled substance’ means a drug or other substance, or immediate precursor, included in Schedule I, II, III, IV, or V of part B of this subchapter.

The term does not include distilled spirits, wine, malt beverages, or tobacco.” To critics, this decision seems careless; the dangers of alcohol and tobacco are well documented, and some experts argue that were it not for this exemption, these substances would be Schedule I. Despite its flaws, the drug classification system is an efficient way to help medical professionals, lawmakers, other officials, and laypeople across the country assess the benefits and dangers of various drugs and medications.

This is the list of Schedule II drugs as defined by the. The following findings are required for drugs to be placed in this schedule:. The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse. The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions. Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. The complete list of Schedule II drugs follows. The for each drug is included.