Debating the Controlled Substances Act

Abstract

In the United States, the basis of modern drug regulation is the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. The CSA laid out the authority of the federal government and provided a framework within which all existing and new substances could be regulated on their abuse potential, safety, and medical utility. The debates over the CSA centered on several critical issues: where to place the authority to make scheduling designations, the impact of scheduling on drug research, and defining what constituted drug “abuse” for purposes of scheduling. Passage of the CSA was aided by broad language that provided a kind of “big tent” which could accommodate diverse points of view. A retrospective assessment of the CSA shows it to have greatly expanded federal administrative authority over the nation’s drug supply, much as its authors intended. Other impacts of the CSA, however, are much less certain. This article concludes by highlighting the issues and questions that should guide future retrospective research on the efficacy of drug control regimes.