21 USC § 801a - Congressional findings and declarations: psychotropic substances
The Congress makes the following findings and declarations:
(1)
The Congress has long recognized the danger involved in the manufacture, distribution, and use of certain psychotropic substances for nonscientific and nonmedical purposes, and has provided strong and effective legislation to control illicit trafficking and to regulate legitimate uses of psychotropic substances in this country. Abuse of psychotropic substances has become a phenomenon common to many countries, however, and is not confined to national borders. It is, therefore, essential that the United States cooperate with other nations in establishing effective controls over international traffic in such substances.
(2)
The United States has joined with other countries in executing an international treaty, entitled the Convention on Psychotropic Substances and signed at Vienna, Austria, on February 21, 1971, which is designed to establish suitable controls over the manufacture, distribution, transfer, and use of certain psychotropic substances. The Convention is not self-executing, and the obligations of the United States thereunder may only be performed pursuant to appropriate legislation. It is the intent of the Congress that the amendments made by this Act, together with existing law, will enable the United States to meet all of its obligations under the Convention and that no further legislation will be necessary for that purpose.
(3)
In implementing the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the Congress intends that, consistent with the obligations of the United States under the Convention, control of psychotropic substances in the United States should be accomplished within the framework of the procedures and criteria for classification of substances provided in the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 [21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.]. This will insure that
(A)
the availability of psychotropic substances to manufacturers, distributors, dispensers, and researchers for useful and legitimate medical and scientific purposes will not be unduly restricted;
(C)
nothing in the Convention will interfere with ethical medical practice in this country as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the basis of a consensus of the views of the American medical and scientific community.
The Congress makes the following findings and declarations:
(1)
The Congress has long recognized the danger involved in the manufacture, distribution, and use of certain psychotropic substances for nonscientific and nonmedical purposes, and has provided strong and effective legislation to control illicit trafficking and to regulate legitimate uses of psychotropic substances in this country. Abuse of psychotropic substances has become a phenomenon common to many countries, however, and is not confined to national borders. It is, therefore, essential that the United States cooperate with other nations in establishing effective controls over international traffic in such substances.
(2)
The United States has joined with other countries in executing an international treaty, entitled the Convention on Psychotropic Substances and signed at Vienna, Austria, on February 21, 1971, which is designed to establish suitable controls over the manufacture, distribution, transfer, and use of certain psychotropic substances. The Convention is not self-executing, and the obligations of the United States thereunder may only be performed pursuant to appropriate legislation. It is the intent of the Congress that the amendments made by this Act, together with existing law, will enable the United States to meet all of its obligations under the Convention and that no further legislation will be necessary for that purpose.
(3)
In implementing the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the Congress intends that, consistent with the obligations of the United States under the Convention, control of psychotropic substances in the United States should be accomplished within the framework of the procedures and criteria for classification of substances provided in the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 [21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.]. This will insure that
(A)
the availability of psychotropic substances to manufacturers, distributors, dispensers, and researchers for useful and legitimate medical and scientific purposes will not be unduly restricted;
(C)
nothing in the Convention will interfere with ethical medical practice in this country as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the basis of a consensus of the views of the American medical and scientific community.
Source
(Pub. L. 95–633, title I, § 101,Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3768; Pub. L. 96–88, title V, § 509(b),Oct. 17, 1979, 93 Stat. 695.)
References in Text
This Act, referred to in par. (2), is Pub. L. 95–633, Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 2768, as amended, known as the Psychotropic Substances Act of 1978, which enacted sections
801a,
830, and
852 of this title, amended sections
352,
802,
811,
812,
823,
827,
841 to
843,
872,
881,
952,
953, and
965 of this title and section
242a of Title
42, The Public Health and Welfare, repealed section
830 of this title effective Jan. 1, 1981, and enacted provisions set out as notes under sections
801,
801a,
812, and
830 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1978 Amendment note set out under section
801 of this title and Tables.
The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, referred to in par. (3), is Pub. L. 91–513, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1236, as amended, which is classified principally to this chapter [§ 801 et seq.]. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section
801 of this title and Tables.
Codification
Section was enacted as a part of the Psychotropic Substances Act of 1978, and not as a part of the Controlled Substances Act which comprises this subchapter.
Change of Name
“Secretary of Health and Human Services” substituted for “Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare” in par. (3) pursuant to section 509(b) ofPub. L. 96–88, which is classified to section
3508
(b) of Title
20, Education.
Effective Date
Section 112 of title I of Pub. L. 95–633provided that: “This title [enacting this section and section
852 of this title, amending sections
352,
802,
811,
812,
823,
827,
872,
952, and
953 of this title and section
242a of Title
42, The Public Health and Welfare, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections
801 and
812 of this title] and the amendments made by this title shall take effect on the date the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, signed at Vienna, Austria on February 21, 1971, enters into force in respect to the United States.” [The Convention entered into force in respect to the United States on July 15, 1980.]
The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.
The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Wednesday, February 6, 2013
An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
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