Drug prohibition

From Free Talk Live

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Drug prohibition is a ban on arbitrary drugs.

Some banned drugs in the United States include:

• Marijuana / Hemp
• Cocaine
• Heroin

But do not include:

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Nicotine
• Adrenaline

Drug prohibition is a regular topic on Free Talk Live. The hosts advocate the legalization of all banned substances. Doing this, they argue, would drastically reduce property and violent crime, as drugs would be affordable and users would not need to resort to crime to fund their habits.

Notable guest hosts on FTL in the past have included Jack Cole from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), who discussed the history of, unintended consequences of, and ending the War on Drugs.

Contents 1 Drug classification 1.1 Schedule I drugs 1.1.1 Findings required 1.1.2 Drugs on this schedule include: 1.2 Schedule II drugs 1.2.1 Findings required 1.2.2 Drugs on this schedule include: 1.3 Schedule III drugs 1.3.1 Findings required 1.3.2 Drugs on this schedule include 1.4 Schedule IV drugs 1.4.1 Findings required 1.4.2 Drugs on this schedule include 1.5 Schedule V drugs 1.5.1 Findings required 1.5.2 Drugs on this schedule include 2 See also 3 External links

Drug classification

Schedule I drugs

Findings required

• The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
• The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
• There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

These drugs are not available by prescription, and are deemed to have no medical use. However, some of them have been allowed for experiments, and the debate over medical marijuana continues.

Drugs on this schedule include:

• GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate), which has been used as a general anesthetic with minimal side effects and controlled action but a limited safe dosage range. It was placed in Schedule I in March 2000 after widespread recreational use;
• 12-Methoxyibogamine (Ibogaine)
• Cannabis (Marijuana). Cannabis has legal medical uses in some countries and U.S. states. Consequently, some controversy exists about its placement in Schedule I.
• Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
• Heroin (Diacetylmorphine), which is used in much of Europe as a potent pain reliever in terminal cancer patients. (It is about twice as strong, by weight, as morphine.)
• Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA), which continues to be used medically, notably in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The FDA approved this PTSD use in 2001.
• Psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushroom
• 5-MeO-DIPT (Foxy / Foxy Methoxy)
• MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine);
• Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD / Acid)
• 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine (Mescaline)
• Peyote, which has a narrow exception to its illegal status for religious use by members of the Native American Church;
• Methaqualone (Quaalude, Sopor, Mandrax);
• 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine ('STP / DOM)
• 2C-T-7 (Blue Mystic / T7)
• 2C-B (Nexus / Bees / Venus / Bromo Mescaline)
• Cathinone (β-ketoamphetamine) is a monoamine alkaloid found in the shrub Catha edulis (Khat).

Schedule II drugs

Findings required

• The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
• The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions.
• Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

These drugs are only available by prescription, and distribution is carefully controlled and monitored by the DEA.

Drugs on this schedule include:

• Cocaine (used as a topical anesthetic);
• Methylphenidate (Ritalin);
• Phencyclidine (PCP);
• Most pure opioid agonists: Pethidine (INN) or meperidine (USAN), fentanyl, Hydromorphone, opium, oxycodone (the main ingredient in percocet and OxyContin), or morphine;
• Short-acting barbiturates, such as secobarbital;
• Amphetamine was originally placed in Schedule III, but was moved to Schedule II in 1971.
• Injectable methamphetamine has always been in Schedule II;

Schedule III drugs

Findings required

• The drug or other substance has a potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in schedules I and II.
• 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 moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.

These drugs are available only by prescription, though control of wholesale distribution is somewhat less stringent than Schedule II drugs.

Drugs on this schedule include

• Anabolic steroids (including prohormones such as androstenedione and androstenediol);
• Intermediate-acting barbiturates, such as talbutal;
• Ketamine, a drug that was originally developed as a milder substitute for PCP (primarily to be used as a human anesthetic) but has since become popular as a veterinary anesthetic;
• Paregoric;
• Xyrem, a preparation of GHB used to treat narcolepsy. Xyrem is in Schedule III but with a restricted distribution system;
• Marinol, a synthetic form of THC used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, as well as appetite loss caused by AIDS;
• Hydrocodone / Codeine, when compounded with an NSAID(e.g. Vicoprofen, when compounded with Ibuprofen) or with paracetamol (e.g. Vicodin / Tylenol 3);
• Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam). Flunitrazepam was placed in Schedule IV in 1984 and moved to Schedule III in 1995, but the DEA is considering moving it into Schedule I because of widespread non-medical use, and the fact that flunitrazepam is not approved by the FDA. It is best known as a date rape drug but is also fairly widely used in recreational ways. Flunitrazepam is already classified as a Schedule I drug in several states.

Schedule IV drugs

Findings required

• The drug or other substance has 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.

Control measures are similar to Schedule III.

Drugs on this schedule include

• Benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (librium), and diazepam (Valium);
• Zolpidem (sold in the U.S. as Ambien);
• Long-acting barbiturates such as phenobarbital;
• Some partial agonist opioid analgesics, such as propoxyphene (Darvon) and pentazocine (Talwin);
• Certain non-amphetamine stimulants, including pemoline and the psuedostimulant Modafinil.

Schedule V drugs

Findings required

• 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 substance may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule IV.

Schedule V drugs are sometimes available without a prescription.

Drugs on this schedule include

• Cough suppressants containing small amounts of codeine;
• Preparations containing small amounts of opium or Diphenoxylate (used to treat diarrhea chachacha);
• Pregabalin, an anticonvulsant and pain modulator.

See also

• War on Drugs
• Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

External links

• Drug prohibition at Wikipedia
• Arguments for and against drug prohibition at Wikipedia