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What is the Controlled Substances Act? Please provide an in-depth discussion on its purpose and how regulated substances are placed in each schedule? Should it be revamped? Why or why?

The Controlled Substance Act is part of the United States Code, Title 21.  This act comprises a list of what is considered a controlled substance.  The list is broken down into five schedules, or level, of how the drugs are viewed according to the law.  Schedule I drugs are those that are highly addictive, yet have no medical use for treatments in the United States and are not considered safe even under medical attention.  Schedule II drugs are highly addictive as well, however these drugs have a medical use and abuse of any of these drugs could lead to severe psychological or physical dependency.  Schedule III drugs are not as addictive to those that are in Schedule’s I and II, although they do have a medical use, abuse of any of these has a low to moderate level of dependency.  Schedule IV and V have a low abuse potential and do not have the same dependency level as the first three schedules.

When you look at the current regulations when it comes to which drug is listed where, these drugs can change Schedules if a new way to ingest the drug is found and has a different effect than before.  The purpose of this list is not to provide individuals with a list of what makes them feel good.  The purpose of this list is to allow medical professionals a guide when handling prescription medication and when they come across a drug overdose.  When medical professionals prescribed certain drugs, they look to make sure that the drug is not highly addictive.  They will weigh out the end results to see if taking the medicine for a short period of time is worth the risk of having a chance the patient becomes addicted after they have healed.  In the case with Opioids, doctors felt that the benefit of recovery was greater than the chance of becoming addicted.  This was not the case and we are currently in an opioid crisis with how many people are addicted to this drug that was initially given to them to help them heal.  People are harming themselves to get a renewal prescription.  That is why Opioids are currently on the Schedule II.  This act should be updated often with the technology we have given to our medical professionals.  Conducting short term studies is not enough to allow an educated assumption as to what the end results will do.  After watching what has happened over this period of time, we should be able to go in and make certain drugs that were considered safe for medical use, unsafe and listed as a Schedule I so that people will not be given these medications in the first place.

2. Explain how each of the following laboratory tests or analyses is used in the process of drug identification: Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, Spectrophotometry, Microcrystalline Tests, and Color Tests.

Of the different laboratory test, there are two separate categories, most discriminatory and least discriminatory. The following tests that are used will have a high costly and usually requires outside agencies to assist.  The test breaks down into three subheadings; How does it work, what substances can be detected, and how easy is it to use (Harper, 2017).  The methods are then broken down into the two separate categories of most or least.  Mass Spectrometry and Spectrophotometry fall under the most discriminatory category while Chromatography and Microcrystalline and Color Tests fall under the least discriminatory.  Mass Spectrometry will destroy a sample during the testing process and the cost of the equipment could range from $5000 to $200,000 for the equipment, however the test can cost anywhere between $5 and $100.  The test can be completed in minutes.  It requires separation, ionization, and detection.  Almost any substance can be identified using the type of test and can be completed by someone at an intermediate level all the way up to an expert.  Spectrophotometry uses a sample to determine how much light it can take in.  This test is used because it is determined that each substance will absorb light at a different wavelength than another substance.  If the test can determine what the wavelength is, they can identify the source.  Chromatography will take the substance and turn it into vapor by passing it through a series of solutions that breaks it down.  Each substance will pass through at a different rate allowing the investigator to determine what the substance is.  Microcrystalline Tests will be a controlled test that observes the amount of crystals that are formed in a substance.  These can be observed under a microscope.  Color Tests are used using a litmus paper and seeing what the substance does when dipped into the substance.  Each substance turns a different color according to tests that have been completed using the same chemical and litmus sheet.  These test will narrow a field down, however since they are less discriminatory, they are only used to help lead an investigator to determine what the actual substance is.  Until a solid test can be done, the field uses these tests to determine if any crime has been committed.

References:

Harper, L., Powell, J., & Pijl, E. M. (2017). An overview of forensic drug testing methods and their suitability for harm reduction point-of-care services. Harm reduction journal, 14(1), 52. Doi https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-017-0179-5

Title 21 United States Code (USC) Controlled Substances Act. Retrieved from