CHAPTER § 2.01 Introduction

• Jurisdiction: United States

§ 2.01 Introduction

Various pharmaceutical compounds and production chemicals fulfill essential scientific and medical needs, but simultaneously attract misuse and associated detrimental effects. Narcotic drug ingredients (e.g., morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, and fentanyl)—indispensable for pain relief, yet long abused for non-medical purposes—are the most commonly recognized examples. Other relevant pharmaceutical compounds include stimulants of the central nervous system (e.g., amphetamine, methylphenidate, modafinil) and depressants (e.g., alprazolam, diazepam, zaleplon), hallucinogenic substances (e.g., dronabinol), anabolic steroids, and ephedrine- and pseudoephedrine-containing products. Production chemicals of concern—which can be used illicitly to manufacture controlled substances—include acetone, iodine, hydrochloric acid, toluene, and sulfuric acid, among others.

Pharmaceutical firms and regulators are thus presented with a challenging, dual mission: to enable uninterrupted access to essential compounds and chemicals for legitimate use, yet to control and penalize domestic and international diversion of those substances into illicit channels.

U.S. federal and state-level laws (operating in tandem with international treaty agreements) purport to establish a "closed distribution system,"...