Controlled substance

A drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, distribution, or use is subject to additional legal controls because of risks such as dependence or misuse.

Drug scheduling: A legal system that assigns drugs to categories with different restrictions and penalties. Schedules translate judgments about risk and medical use into levels of control.
Psychoactive drug: A substance that changes mental processes, including perception, mood, cognition, or behavior. Many controlled substances are psychoactive, but psychoactivity alone does not determine legal status.
Decriminalization: The removal or reduction of criminal penalties for conduct that remains subject to legal regulation. Decriminalizing possession can change penalties without removing a substance from control laws.
Prescription drug monitoring program: A state-run database that records dispensing of selected prescription drugs in the United States. These databases help detect risky prescribing and possible diversion of controlled medications.
Drug policy: Government approaches to regulating drug production, distribution, possession, and use. Controlled-substance categories are instruments within broader choices about drug policy.
Controlled Substances Act: A 1970 United States federal law establishing schedules and controls for specified drugs and chemicals. It is the principal federal framework behind U.S. controlled-substance scheduling.
Drug dependence: A state in which repeated substance use produces adaptation and can cause symptoms when use stops. Dependence is one risk that lawmakers may consider when imposing controls.
Legalization: The removal of legal prohibition, often accompanied by rules governing permitted production and sale. Legalization can replace prohibition with regulation rather than simply eliminating controls.
Controlled-drug prescription: A prescription for a substance subject to additional legal requirements for prescribing and dispensing. Special prescription rules govern access to many controlled medicines.
Drug policy reform: Efforts to change laws and institutions governing drugs and their use. Reform debates often focus on whether existing classifications and penalties reduce harm.

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