Controlled Drugs in the Controlled Substance Act

By
Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD
Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada.
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Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD
Updated on January 20, 2020
Hydrocodone capsules, a schedule III drug, spilling out of a prescription bottle

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Table of Contents

Controlled drugs are substances that are controlled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This act categorizes all substances, which are regulated under federal law into “schedules,” depending on how potentially dangerous they are.

5 Schedules of Drugs

The five “schedules” of drugs should not be confused with the five “classes” of drugs, a different way of organizing drugs according to their main properties. The five classes of drugs are narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids.

The schedule the drug is placed under depends on its medical use, its potential for abuse, and its safety or how easily people become dependent on it.

Careful consideration has gone into this categorization. The control of drugs through law exists to protect people from the harm that these drugs can do. It is based on research from many different sources into the potential harmfulness of the drug, both to individuals and to society.

Schedule I Drugs

Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse. They currently have no federally accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. Examples of Schedule I substances include heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), and methaqualone.

Schedule II Drugs

Schedule II drugs or other substance also have a high potential for abuse. They differ from Schedule I drugs in that they do have a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions. Examples of Schedule II substances include morphine, phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, methadone, and methamphetamine.

Abuse of schedule II drugs may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

Schedule III Drugs

Schedule III drugs or other substances have less potential for abuse than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II. They have a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence. Examples of Schedule III substances include anabolic steroids, codeine and hydrocodone with aspirin or Tylenol, and some barbiturates.

Schedule IV Drugs

These drugs or other substances have a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule III. The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule III. Examples of drugs included in Schedule IV are Darvon, Talwin, Equanil, Valium, and Xanax.

Schedule V Drugs

The drug or other substance has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule IV. The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule IV. Examples of Schedule V drugs include cough medicines with codeine.

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