How many Schedules of drugs were created by the Controlled Substances Act?

The correct response indicates that the Controlled Substances Act established five Schedules of drugs. This system categorizes substances based on their potential for abuse, accepted medical use in treatment, and accepted safety under medical supervision.

The First Schedule includes drugs with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, such as heroin and LSD. The Second Schedule consists of drugs that can lead to severe psychological or physical dependence but have accepted medical uses, like opioids. Subsequently, the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Schedules feature substances with lower potential for abuse and recognized medical uses, with decreasing restrictions imposed as one moves from Schedule I to V. This classification system is crucial for regulatory control, ensuring that substances with higher abuse potential are more rigorously managed.