Controlled Substances ActPlaces all substances which were in some

manner regulated under existing Federal law into one of five schedules.

This placement is based upon the substance’s medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability.

Schedule 11The drug or other substance has a high

potential for abuse.The drug or other substance has no

currently accepted medical use in treatment in the U.S.

There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision

Example: heroin, LSD, marijuana, and methaqualone.

Schedule 22The 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 U.S. or currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions.

Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

Examples: morphine, PCP, cocaine, methadone, and methamphetamine.

Schedule 33The drug or other substance has a potential

abuse less than the drugs or other substances in Schedules 1 and 2.

The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the U.S.

Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence

Examples: anabolic steroids, codeine, hydrocodene with aspirin or Tylenol, and some barbiturates.

Schedule 44The drug or other substance has a low potential

for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule 3.

The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the U.S.

Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs in Schedule 3.

Examples: Darvon, Talwin, Equanil, Valium, and Xanax.

Schedule 55The drug or other substance has a low

potential for abuse relative to the drugs in Schedule 4.

The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the U.S.

Abuse of the drug may lead to limited physical or psychological dependence relative to the drugs in Schedule 4.

Example: over-the-counter cough medicines with codeine.

Side Effects of Use: drowsiness, inability to concentrate, apathy, lessened physical activity, constriction of the pupils, dilation of the subcutaneous blood vessels causing flushing of the face and neck, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and respiratory depression.

Withdraw Symptoms: watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, sweating, restlessness, irritability, loss of appetite, tremors, severe sneezing, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, muscle spasms, and kicking movements.

Types of NarcoticsTypes of NarcoticsOpium a.k.a. morphine, codeine.

Morphine is the principal constituent of opium, ranging in concentration from 4 to 21 percent. Used for pain relief, it can be marketed orally in tablets and in injection form.

Heroin in its purest form appears to be a white powder, but is rarely sold in that form, often with impurities. “Black tar” is the most commonly found being sold, and is mostly injected or snorted (to avoid syringe-borne diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis).

Oxycodone is similar to codeine, but has a higher dependency risk. Usually combined with aspirin, it is used for pain relief in tablet form.

Depressants are often used to induce sleep, relieve stress, and omit anxiety. Alcohol is the most common, new substances have been introduced to suppress the central nervous system.

The most explicit forms found today are barbiturates and benzodiazepines, and are sometimes legitimate pharmaceutical products diverted to the illicit market.

BarbituratesBarbituratesMore than 2,500 barbiturates have been

synthesized, and only about a dozen are used today. They are used for depression, mild sedation,

hypnotics, anesthetics, and anticonvulsants.Ultrashort, short, intermediate, and long-acting

effects.More preferred short acting barbiturates like

pentobarbital, secobarbital, and amobarbital, are orally administered, with the effects lasting up to 6 hours.

Examples: anesthesia and euthanasia

Known as “uppers,” found in tobacco byproducts and caffeine, like coffee, tea, and soda.

In moderation, can be used to relieve malaise and increase alertness.

Effects include: dizziness, tremor, headache, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.

Psychological effects: agitation, hostility, panic, aggression, paranoia, and suicidal or homicidal tendencies.

CocaineCocaineOften diluted with sugars to increase volume and

profits“crack” is sold illicitly, smoked, and contributed

to the rise of violence in American culture.Side effects: coughing, shortness of breath,

severe chest pain with lung trauma and bleeding.Cocaine reaches the brain within 3 to 5 minutes

of snorting, or in mere seconds with injection, almost always leading to a dysphoric crash.

AmphetaminesThey are generally taken orally or

injected, but recently has been promoted for smoking in methamphetamine, and is known as “ice”.

Effects: schizophrenia, paranoia, drowned in thought, and hallucinations.

Methylphenidate A.k.a. Ritalin, the main legitimate reason

for medical use is to treat attention deficit disorders.

Can be taken orally, dissolved in water, or injected.

Complications can arise in the form of tablets as the materials can block the flow of blood in small vessels, causing serious damage to the lung and retina of the eye.

These have been used for centuries as natural hallucinogens to alter human perception and mood.

Effects: elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, perceptual distortions, disorders with thought associated with time and space, as time seems to stand still, stress, and forms and colors change to take on a new significance.

Weeks or months later after ingestion, the user may experience flashbacks from when they first took the hallucinogen.

Impaired judgment leads to rash decisions and accidents

LSDLSDLysergic acid diethylamideMost potent and studied hallucinogenStructurally similar to chemical present in the

brain, and similar effects of psychosisCommonly sold in paper form (blotter acid),

tablets (microdots), or thin squares of gelatin (window panes).

Effects: dilated pupils, lowered body temperature, nausea, goose bumps, perspiration, increased blood sugar, and rapid heart rate.

Distorted perception of size and shape of objects and movements.

MDMAMDMAMethylenedioxymethamphetamineOften used at “raves”Usually taken orally, or can be snorted.Produced in clandestine laboratories, and

are rarely pure.

PhencyclidineMost Common Effects: confusion and deliriumVeterinary anesthetic under the name Sernylan,

but discontinued.A.k.a. PCP, Angel Dust, Rocket Fuel, etc.Other side Effects: detachment, numbness,

slurred speech, loss of coordination, blank stares, rapid involuntary eye movement, and anxiety.

It is believed to be one of the most dangerous drugs of abuse.

Cannabis sativa L. is a hemp plant that is cultivated for the tough fibers of its stem.

The U.S. is the only country that uses it for scientific research.

These plants contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is believed to be responsible for most of the characteristic psychoactive effects of the plant.

The development and marketing of dronabinol (Marinol) is used to control nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy with cancer patients, and to stimulate the appetite in AIDS patients.

They are usually smoked, and affects are felt with minutes, and heighten senses and relaxation.

MarijuanaMarijuanaIt is the most commonly used drug in the U.S.It refers to the leaves growing on top of the cannabis

plant, and is preferred without seeds (known as sinsemilla) for more potency for a higher THC content.

Joints and blunts are usually littered with phencyclidine (PCP), which causes the effects and toxicity of marijuana.

Effects are seen along the same lines as tobacco smokers, such as bronchitis and emphysema, but also include reddening of the eyes, impaired motor skills and concentration, and hunger with a desire for sweets.

Commonly used by weight lifters, body builders, long distance runners, cyclists, and others for a competitive edge, steroids are used to improve physical appearance.

The CSA defined the drug as resembling the chemical hormone testosterone that promotes muscle growth.

Medical use is for the replacement of inadequate levels of testosterone as determined by testing.

Steroids cause severe cardiovascular, liver, and reproductive damage.

Effects: heightened blood pressure, acne, balding, and reduced sexual function.