Schedule II drugs are those that have high abuse potentials but that have approved medical uses with extreme restriction. Schedule III drugs are those that have abuse potential, but not as much as the previous two categories. They also have approved medical uses. Abuse can lead to moderate or low physical dependence and high psychological dependence. Schedule IV drugs have low potential for abuse and have accepted medical uses in the US. These drugs have limited physical and psychological dependence. Schedule V drugs are similar to schedule IV drugs but they have even less abuse potential and less chance dependence.
Anabolic steroids are considered schedule III drugs according to federal law. Each state, however, has the freedom to schedule anabolic steroids as they choose or not schedule them at all, so it’s important to check with your individual state in terms of where these drugs fall in the schedule.
Federal law also states that it is unlawful for anyone to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance (i.e. anabolic steroid) or a counterfeit controlled substance. Penalties of this range from jail sentences to fines to both.
The 108th Congress amended the Controlled Substances Act to include anabolic steroids and to add in information about steroids and steroid precursors. This amendment is sometimes called the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004.
The first thing this amendment did was insert a definition of anabolic steroids as follows: “The term ‘anabolic steroid’ means any drug or hormonal substance, chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogens, progestins, corticosteroids and dehydroepiandrosterone).” It includes specific references to androstandediol, androstanedione, bolasterone, boldenon, calusterone, clostebol, dehydrochloromethyltestosterone, drostanlone, ethylestrenol, fluoxymesterone, formebolone, furazabol, hydroxytestosterone, mestanolone, mesteronlone, methandienone, methandriol, methenolone, methyltestosterone, mibolerone, nandrolone, norandrostenediol, norandrostenedione, norbolethone, norclostebol, norethandrolone, exandrolone, oxymesterone, oxymetholone, stanozolol, stenbolone, testolactone, testosterone, tetrahydrogestrinone and trenbolone.
This amendment to the Act also allows for the federal government to look at, review and possibly amend the sentencing guidelines pertaining to this law. Additionally, the amendment calls for grants to allow for public and non-profit agencies to create and enact programs about the dangers of anabolic steroids in schools.
|
