Psychoactive Drugs and American Law

Paper Summary:

The paper reviews the American legislation that "controls" certain substances. The paper examines smoking laws and tobacco usage to determine the American use / abuse of nicotine. It also contrasts that with the greater illegality of marijuana, and compares that to sports drugs such as anabolic steroids. Finally, the paper reviews the history of alcohol legislation and abuse. In conclusion, the writer feels that nicotine and alcohol should be treated more as health hazards, in line with the legislative treatment accorded marijuana and metabolic steroids. Table of Contents: Legislation Affecting Drugs in the United States; Nicotine; Marijuana; Anabolic Steroids; Liquor; Bibliography

From the Paper:

"Scheduling occurs according to certain criteria that are applied to drugs according to their medicinal value, harmfulness, and potential abuse or addiction to the drug. There are five schedules, of which Schedule I is assigned to the most dangerous drugs with the least medicinal value, with Schedule II-V being applied to drugs with decreasing danger and increasing medicinal value. Schedule V would then include the least dangerous of the drugs."

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