Although stimulants are the most used drugs in the world, not all of them share the same legal status. Cocaine and most amphetamines have only a few legitimate medical applications; their use for any other reason is forbidden. Methamphetamine is not approved for any type of use. Nevertheless, thousands of recreational users find the appeal of cocaine and amphetamines so strong that they self-administer the drugs in violation of the law.

A Pattern of Abuse

Unfortunately, the federal government's efforts to protect the public from dangerous drugs have not eliminated the problem of stimulant abuse. In the wake of the 1906 ban on nonprescription use of cocaine, cocaine abuse did not disappear. The drug remained popular among thousands of users, and its sales were brisk. Those who elected to keep using it did so in secret to avoid arrest. The public got most of its...