6.2 Federal & Oklahoma Controlled Dangerous Substance Schedules

6.2 Federal & Oklahoma Controlled Dangerous Substance Schedules

Core Legal Framework: Both the Federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 812; 21 CFR Part 1308) and the Oklahoma Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act (Title 63 O.S. § 2-201 through § 2-212) classify drugs into five distinct schedules (Schedules I through V). Scheduling determinations are based on three fundamental statutory criteria: (1) currently accepted medical use in the United States, (2) relative potential for abuse, and (3) severity of physical or psychological dependence liability.

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1. Statutory Criteria for the Five CDS Schedules

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                       CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE (CDS) SCHEDULE CRITERIA                   |
+----------+--------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Schedule | Abuse Potential    | Accepted U.S. Med Use   | Dependence Liability                 |
+----------+--------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| **C-I**  | High               | None                    | Lack of accepted safety under care   |
| **C-II** | High               | Yes (with restrictions) | Severe physical / psychological      |
| **C-III**| Moderate / Low     | Yes                     | Moderate physical / High psych       |
| **C-IV** | Low (rel. to C-III)| Yes                     | Limited physical / psychological     |
| **C-V**  | Low (rel. to C-IV) | Yes                     | Very limited physical / psychological|
+----------+--------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------------------+

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2. Detailed Breakdown of Schedules & Representative Agents

Schedule I (C-I)

• Statutory Profile: High abuse potential; no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; lacks accepted safety data even under close medical supervision.
• Key Representative Agents:
  • Illicit Narcotics: Heroin, illicit Fentanyl analogues (e.g., acetylfentanyl, carfentanil).
  • Hallucinogens: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), Mescaline, Peyote, Psilocybin, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA / Ecstasy).
  • Depressants: Methaqualone (Quaalude), Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB) illicit preparations.
  • Synthetic Cannabinoids: Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists ("Spice", "K2"), Methcathinone, Bath salts (synthetic cathinones).
• Jurisprudential Note on Marijuana: Under federal law, marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance. In Oklahoma, the passage of State Question 788 created a licensed medical marijuana system under Title 63 O.S. (Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority - OMMA); however, medical marijuana is not dispensed from standard licensed pharmacies and cannot be prescribed via federal DEA registrations.

Schedule II (C-II)

• Statutory Profile: High abuse potential; accepted medical use in the United States (often with severe restrictions); abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
• Key Representative Agents:
  • Opioid Agonists: Morphine, Oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxicodone, Percocet), Hydromorphone (Dilaudid), Oxymorphone (Opana), Fentanyl (Duragesic, Actiq, Fentora), Methadone (Dolophine), Meperidine (Demerol), Codeine (single ingredient), Hydrocodone combination products (Norco, Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet), Tapentadol (Nucynta), Sufentanil.
  • CNS Stimulants: Amphetamine mixed salts (Adderall), Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin), Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse), Methamphetamine (Desoxyn), Cocaine (topical medical solution).
  • Barbiturates & Depressants: Pentobarbital (Nembutal), Secobarbital (Seconal), Amobarbital (Amytal).
  • Specific Formulation: Dronabinol oral solution (Syndros) — formulated with 50% alcohol; classified in Schedule II due to rapid absorption and formulation abuse potential.

Schedule III (C-III)

• Statutory Profile: Abuse potential less than substances in Schedules I and II; accepted medical use; abuse may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.
• Key Representative Agents:
  • Buprenorphine Products: Buprenorphine single-ingredient (Subutex) and Buprenorphine/Naloxone combinations (Suboxone, Zubsolv) used in opioid use disorder treatment and pain management (Belbuca, Butrans).
  • Anabolic Steroids: Testosterone (AndroGel, Depo-Testosterone), Nandrolone, Oxandrolone, Stanozolol, Methandrostenolone.
  • Barbiturate Combinations: Butalbital-containing products with aspirin (Fiorinal). (Note: Fioricet containing butalbital/APAP/caffeine is federally exempt from scheduling due to its ratio, but tracked closely in Oklahoma practice). Also includes suppository forms of Amobarbital, Secobarbital, or Pentobarbital.
  • Dissociative Anesthetics: Ketamine (Ketalar).
  • Specific Formulation: Dronabinol capsules in sesame oil (Marinol) — formulated in soft gelatin capsules; classified in Schedule III.
  • Codeine Combination Thresholds: Products containing not more than 90 mg of codeine per dosage unit combined with an equal or greater quantity of an isoquinoline alkaloid or with one or more active non-narcotic therapeutic ingredients (e.g., Acetaminophen with Codeine #3 [30 mg codeine] and #4 [60 mg codeine]).

Schedule IV (C-IV)

• Statutory Profile: Low potential for abuse relative to Schedule III substances; accepted medical use; abuse may lead to limited physical or psychological dependence.
• Key Representative Agents:
  • Benzodiazepines: Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam (Ativan), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Temazepam (Restoril), Triazolam (Halcion), Midazolam (Versed), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), Clobazam (Onfi).
  • Non-Benzodiazepine Sedatives ("Z-Drugs"): Zolpidem (Ambien), Zaleplon (Sonata), Eszopiclone (Lunesta).
  • Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Carisoprodol (Soma) — federally and state-classified as Schedule IV.
  • Synthetic Opioid Analgesics: Tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet) — federally and state-classified as Schedule IV.
  • Orexin Receptor Antagonists: Suvorexant (Belsomra), Lemborexant (Dayvigo), Daridorexant (Quviviq).
  • Wakefulness Promoters: Modafinil (Provigil), Armodafinil (Nuvigil).
  • Long-Acting Barbiturates: Phenobarbital.
  • Weight Loss Agents: Phentermine (Adipex-P), Diethylpropion, Lorcaserin (Belviq - withdrawn).
  • Gastrointestinal Antidiarrheal: Difenoxin 1 mg / Atropine 25 mcg (Motofen).

Schedule V (C-V)

• Statutory Profile: Low potential for abuse relative to Schedule IV substances; accepted medical use; limited physical or psychological dependence liability relative to higher schedules.
• Key Representative Agents:
  • Anticonvulsants & Neuropathic Agents: Pregabalin (Lyrica), Lacosamide (Vimpat), Brivaracetam (Briviact), Cenobamate (Xcopri).
  • Antidiarrheals: Diphenoxylate 2.5 mg combined with not less than 25 mcg of Atropine Sulfate per dosage unit (Lomotil).
  • Antitussive Formulations: Liquid preparations containing not more than 200 mg of codeine per 100 mL (or 100 g) with one or more non-narcotic active medicinal ingredients (e.g., Promethazine with Codeine, Guaifenesin with Codeine / Cheratussin AC).

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3. High-Yield Scheduling Thresholds & Calculation Rules

Oklahoma MPJE questions frequently test the precise concentration and dosage limits dividing narcotic schedules:

A. Codeine Combination Limits

1. Schedule II: Pure codeine single-ingredient (any strength) or combinations exceeding 90 mg per dosage unit / 1.8 g per 100 mL.
2. Schedule III: Combinations containing ≤ 90 mg of codeine per dosage unit (e.g., Tylenol with Codeine #3 has 30 mg codeine, Tylenol with Codeine #4 has 60 mg codeine) OR ≤ 1.8 g of codeine per 100 mL (18 mg/mL), provided it is combined with one or more active non-narcotic ingredients in recognized therapeutic amounts.
3. Schedule V: Liquid combinations containing ≤ 200 mg of codeine per 100 mL (2 mg/mL or 10 mg/5 mL) combined with one or more non-narcotic active ingredients (e.g., Guaifenesin with Codeine syrup).

B. Dronabinol Formulation Rules

• Marinol (Dronabinol Capsules): Synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol dissolved in sesame oil and encapsulated in soft gelatin is Schedule III.
• Syndros (Dronabinol Oral Solution): Liquid formulation dissolved in 50% alcohol solution is Schedule II due to higher abuse and extraction potential.

C. Rescheduled & Frequently Tested Controlled Substances