There are many drugs that have been classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) under the Schedule I classification. These include marijuana, heroin, LSD, Peyote, GHB, Quaalude, and ecstasy. However, there has been some debate about whether ecstasy should be classified in this category.
Schedule 1 Drugs Must Have The Following Characteristics
- The drug has a high potential for abuse.
- The drug has no use for medical treatment in the United States.
- There is not accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision.
Typically, these drugs are not prescribed and do not have any use in clinical settings. In fact, marijuana is another drug in this category that has questioned because of the way some of its users smoke marijuana for medical purposes. At the same time, marijuana has listed it as the fourth most abused drug in the United States behind opiates, nicotine, and alcohol.
However, ecstasy has also been questioned because of its occasional medical use. In fact, some researchers have pointed out that the drug is unique in that it can ease the fear of patients without having to sedate them.
Furthermore, Julie Holland, a psychiatrist at New York University’s Medical Center commented, “There is nothing else like this in psychiatry – a fast-acting anti-anxiety medication that makes people alert and talkative.” Because of the occasional reference to ecstasy in clinical use, its classification is sometimes questioned.
However, for the most part it fits the DEA characteristics for being a Schedule I drug. Ecstasy, sometimes known as Molly, is a popular drug used at parties, celebrations among adolescents, and passed around at bars. Use of ecstasy can be more common during the summer, when social gatherings happen more frequently.
Raves, camping trips, and summer concerts can often invite the use of ecstasy. The drug has a hallucinogenic as well as stimulating effect on its users. However, it can become dangerous to the mind when used excessively and can be dangerous to others if users are driving or acting erratically.
Easy to Abuse
Like marijuana, ecstasy has a high potential for abuse. It is not used regularly for medical treatment, and there are not any accepted safety measures if/when it is used for medical purposes. Thus, the ecstasy fits well under this classification. Furthermore, the drug has a potential for being addictive.
Although, ecstasy is not as addictive as other narcotics, it does affect the same neurotransmitter in the brain that other addictive drugs affect.
Furthermore, ecstasy is seen as a narcotic. It is not considered a medical narcotic, such as methadone. However, it is a legal narcotic, seen by the DEA and legal authorities as a dangerous drug for strong potential of abuse.
If you or someone you know is regularly using ecstasy, contact a mental health professional today. Ecstasy may not be as addictive as other drugs, but it can be a gateway to other drugs that can cause addiction and significant harm.
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