In an effort to enact an organized drug regulatory strategy, the Controlled Substances Act, Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1970. This act replaced the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914 and has been amended considerably since its inception. Both the legal and illicit distribution and manufacture of narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids are regulated by the CSA. As proscribed by the CSA, these substances are categorized into five schedules according to their potential for abuse and their medicinal value. As in other federal regulations, the act allows for changes in which substances can be added, decontrolled, removed, or transferred.

The process by which a drug is scheduled lies in the hands of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and/or by petition from an...