DrugsA DEA RESOURCE of Abuse GUIDE PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY Drug Enforcement Administration • U.S. Department of Justice WWW.DEA.GOV Contents Welcome ....................................................................... 7 VI. Depressants ........................................................... 56 I. Controlled Substances Act .......................................... 8 Barbiturates ........................................................................58 Drug Scheduling ................................................................15 Benzodiazepines ................................................................59 Schedule I ...........................................................................15 GHB.....................................................................................60 Schedule II ..........................................................................22 Rohypnol.............................................................................62 Schedule III .........................................................................24 VII. Hallucinogens ....................................................... 64 Schedule IV .........................................................................27 Ecstasy/MDMA ..................................................................66 Schedule V ..........................................................................29 Ketamine ............................................................................68 Federal Trafficking Penalties .............................................30 LSD ......................................................................................70 Federal Trafficking Penalties—Marijuana ........................31 Peyote & Mescaline ...........................................................71 II. U.S. Chemical Control ............................................. 32 Psilocybin ............................................................................72 Listed Chemicals Chart .....................................................34 VIII. Marijuana/Cannabis ............................................. 74 III. Introduction to Drug Classes .................................. 36 Marijuana Concentrates ....................................................76 IV. Narcotics ................................................................ 38 IX. Steroids ................................................................. 78 Fentanyl ..............................................................................40 X. Inhalants ................................................................. 80 Heroin .................................................................................42 XI. Drugs of Concern .................................................. 82 Hydromorphone ................................................................43 DXM ....................................................................................82 Methadone .........................................................................44 Kratom ................................................................................84 Morphine ............................................................................45 Salvia Divinorum ................................................................85 Opium .................................................................................46 XII. Designer Drugs ..................................................... 86 Oxycodone .........................................................................47 Bath Salts or Designer Cathinones ..................................86 V. Stimulants ............................................................... 48 K2 /Spice .............................................................................88 Amphetamines ...................................................................50 Synthetic Opioids ..............................................................90 Cocaine ...............................................................................51 XIII. Resources............................................................. 92 Khat .....................................................................................53 Methamphetamine ............................................................54 DRUGS OF ABUSE I 2017 EDITION: A DEA Resource Guide 5 Welcome TO THE LATEST EDITION OF DRUGS OF ABUSE Education plays a critical role in preventing substance abuse. Drugs of Abuse, A DEA Resource Guide, is designed to be a reliable resource on the most commonly abused and misused drugs in the United States. This comprehensive guide provides important information about the harms and consequences of drug use by describing a drug’s effects on the body and mind, overdose potential, origin, legal status, and other key facts. Drugs of Abuse also offers a list of additional drug education and prevention resources, including the DEA websites: www.DEA.gov; www.JustThinkTwice.com, aimed at teenagers; www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com, designed for parents, educa- tors, and caregivers; and www.operationprevention.com. DRUGS OF ABUSE I 2017 EDITION: A DEA Resource Guide 7 I. Controlled Substances Act CONTROLLING DRUGS OR OTHER the Assistant Secretary for Health of HHS. SUBSTANCES THROUGH FORMAL The Assistant Secretary, by authority of the Secretary, compiles SCHEDULING the information and transmits back to the DEA: a medical and The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) places all substances scientific evaluation regarding the drug or other substance, a which were in some manner regulated under existing federal recommendation as to whether the drug should be controlled, law into one of five schedules. This placement is based upon and in what schedule it should be placed. the substance’s medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or The medical and scientific evaluations are binding on the DEA dependence liability. The Act also provides a mechanism for with respect to scientific and medical matters and form a part substances to be controlled (added to or transferred between of the scheduling decision. schedules) or decontrolled (removed from control). The Once the DEA has received the scientific and medical evalu- procedure for these actions is found in Section 201 of the Act ation from HHS, the Administrator will evaluate all available (21U.S.C. §811). data and make a final decision whether to propose that a drug Proceedings to add, delete, or change the schedule of a drug or other substance should be removed or controlled and into or other substance may be initiated by the Drug Enforce- which schedule it should be placed. ment Administration (DEA), the Department of Health and If a drug does not have a potential for abuse, it cannot be Human Services (HHS), or by petition from any interested controlled. Although the term “potential for abuse” is not party, including: defined in the CSA, there is much discussion of the term in the • The manufacturer of a drug legislative history of the Act. The following items are indicators • A medical society or association that a drug or other substance has a potential for abuse: • A pharmacy association (1) There is evidence that individuals are taking the drug or other substance in amounts sufficient to create a hazard • A public interest group concerned with drug abuse to their health or to the safety of other individuals or to • A state or local government agency the community. • An individual citizen (2) There is significant diversion of the drug or other sub- When a petition is received by the DEA, the agency begins its stance from legitimate drug channels. own investigation of the drug. The DEA also may begin an (3) Individuals are taking the drug or other substance on their investigation of a drug at any time based upon information own initiative rather than on the basis of medical advice from received from law enforcement laboratories, state and local a practitioner. law enforcement and regulatory agencies, or other sources (4) The drug is a new drug so related in its action to a drug or of information. other substance already listed as having a potential for abuse Once the DEA has collected the necessary data, the DEA to make it likely that the drug will have the same potential for Administrator, by authority of the Attorney General, requests abuse as such drugs, thus making it reasonable to assume from HHS a scientific and medical evaluation and recom- that there may be significant diversions from legitimate chan- mendation as to whether the drug or other substance should nels, significant use contrary to or without medical advice, or be controlled or removed from control. This request is sent to that it has a substantial capability of creating hazards to the 8 DRUGS OF ABUSE I A DEA Resource Guide: 2017 EDITION health of the user or to the safety of the community. Of course, by the CSA. They are as follows: evidence of actual abuse of a substance is indicative that a drug has a potential for abuse. Schedule I In determining into which schedule a drug or other substance • The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse. should be placed, or whether a substance should be decontrolled • The drug or other substance has no currently accepted or rescheduled, certain factors are required to be considered. medical use in treatment in the United States. These factors are listed in Section 201 (c), [21 U.S.C. § 811 (c)] of • There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other the CSA as follows: substance under medical supervision. (1)The drug’s actual