Definition - What does Schedule I mean?

Schedule I is a classification of the Federal regulatory status of a class of drugs. It is a subclass of substances with no perceived medicinal value coupled with a high potential for abuse. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act was introduced to establish more stringent restrictions on drugs, identifying schedule I substances, also called street drugs, as having more dangerous consequences to its user(s). Common schedule I drugs include: bath salts, ecstasy, marijuana/synthetic marijuana, heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and peyote.

SureHire explains Schedule I

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is mainly responsible for upholding schedule I drug offenses, in particular, distribution of a controlled substance at the Federal level. Possession of a schedule I substance falls under state law jurisdiction, with varying penalties depending on the amount and type of substance(s) confiscated by officials. Certain schedule I drugs are believed to misjudged for their medicinal value due to DEA imposed restrictions to conduct and interpret scientific analyses. The disparity between Federal regulations and state laws raises ongoing questions that specific substances have been erroneously classified as schedule I drugs.

For instance, marijuana is categorized as a schedule 1 substance, falling under the same classification as heroin. The discrepancy lies in the establishment of the Controlled Substance Act because the mandate was designed to enforce strict regulations against the accessibility and/or supply of a drug. Although marijuana still remains illegal in a majority of states, DEA regulations prevent clinical research to study its medicinal value to that end.

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