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Clear allWhat Are the DEA Drug Schedules?
The DEA has five schedules created by the Controlled Substances Act, based on abuse potential, accepted medical use and safety (21 U.S.C. 812). Schedule I includes heroin, LSD and marihuana (21 CFR 1308.11).
Read moreHas the DEA Rescheduled Marijuana?
Partly. On April 28, 2026, DEA moved FDA-approved marijuana drug products and marijuana under a state medical license to Schedule III. All other marijuana, including adult-use, remains in Schedule I.
Read moreWhat Is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid approved as a pain reliever and anesthetic, about 100 times more potent than morphine. Most illicit fentanyl comes from clandestine manufacturing, per the DEA.
Read moreWhat Is Recreational Marijuana?
Recreational marijuana is cannabis used for personal enjoyment rather than medical purposes. It is legal in a growing number of places but still illegal in many, with rules on age, purchase limits and use.
Read moreWhat Are Anabolic Steroids? A Brief Overview
Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of testosterone, formally called anabolic-androgenic steroids. They are DEA Schedule III, with accepted medical uses and relatively low abuse risk.
Read moreWhat Are PCP and Its Analogs?
PCP is a dissociative drug originally developed as an anesthetic. It has no approved medical use today and is a DEA Schedule II drug (21 CFR 1308.12(e)).
Read moreWhat Are Inhalants?
Inhalants are otherwise legal products, such as solvents, aerosols, nitrites and gases, that are abused by inhaling. They were not made as drugs and are not typically controlled substances.
Read moreWhat Is Amphetamine?
Amphetamine is a powerful stimulant and DEA Schedule II drug with some accepted medical uses but a high risk of abuse and addiction. First synthesized in 1887, it was once marketed as Benzedrine.
Read moreWhat Is Cocaine?
Cocaine is derived from coca leaves and is a DEA Schedule II drug, just below Schedule I substances. Coca leaves have been consumed for at least 5,000 years, and cocaine has resurged in the U.S.
Read moreWhat Is DXM? A Brief Overview
DXM, or dextromethorphan, is the FDA-approved cough suppressant in most over-the-counter cough medicines. It is a dissociative anesthetic, safe as labeled but highly dangerous when taken in excess.
Read moreWhat Is Flunitrazepam?
Flunitrazepam, sold as Rohypnol, is a benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic known as a date rape drug. The DEA classifies it as Schedule IV, and it has never been approved for prescription in the U.S.
Read moreWhat Is GHB?
GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) is a DEA Schedule I drug used recreationally and as a date rape drug. It causes about four hours of deep sleep followed by euphoria, and is easily found as a clear liquid.
Read moreWhat Is Hashish?
Hashish is a cannabinoid and DEA Schedule I substance, much like marijuana. It appeared around 900 AD in Arabia, and its background and side effects often parallel those of marijuana.
Read moreWhat Is Heroin?
Heroin is a highly addictive opioid and a DEA Schedule I drug with no currently accepted medical use. Its history begins with opium and the morphine and codeine derived from it.
Read moreWhat Is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic for humans and animals, and a DEA Schedule III drug because of its accepted medical uses. It is sometimes used as a date rape drug.
Read moreWhat Is LSD?
LSD is a hallucinogen and DEA Schedule I substance with no accepted medical use and high abuse potential. It is made in illegal labs and sold as liquid, tablets, capsules or gelatin squares.
Read moreWhat Is Marijuana?
Marijuana is a common drug that remains illegal federally except FDA-approved products and marijuana under a state medical license, which have been in Schedule III since April 28, 2026.
Read moreWhat Is MDMA?
MDMA is a club drug that shares properties of stimulants and hallucinogens and is a DEA Schedule I drug. It was first synthesized and patented in 1913, supposedly as a weight-loss drug.
Read moreWhat Is Mescaline?
Mescaline is a hallucinogen derived from the peyote cactus, with use dating back as far as 4000 BCE. It is a DEA Schedule I drug with no recognized medical use and a high risk of abuse.
Read moreWhat Is Methamphetamine? A Brief Overview
Methamphetamine, or crystal meth, is a DEA Schedule II drug with medical uses but a very high risk of abuse and addiction. First created in Japan in 1919, it was given to troops in wartime.
Read moreWhat Is Opium?
Opium is a highly addictive opioid and a DEA Schedule II controlled substance (21 CFR 1308.12). Some medicines with limited opium are in Schedule III or V.
Read moreWhat Is Psilocybin?
Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic chemical in certain mushrooms and a DEA Schedule I drug with no recognized medical use and a high risk of abuse or dependency. Mushrooms are usually taken orally.
Read moreWhat Is Salvia Divinorum?
Salvia divinorum is a mint-family plant from Mexico that contains salvinorin A and can cause mild to intense hallucinations. It has not been classified under any DEA schedule.
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