Question

What are designer drugs? Why do they propose a “loophole” to our legal system?

Answer 1

The phrase “designer drug” was first coined by police officers in the 1980’s. It refers to a drug whose chemical makeup has been altered slightly in an attempt to make it legal. The idea is that the drug will have the same or similar effects as a currently illegal drug, but will not technically be illegal because the exact chemical structure has not been banned. The first designer drugs to hit the market were synthetic forms of the narcotic heroin.In the US, the production, sale and use of any kind of drug is regulated by the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. The only exceptions are tobacco, caffeine and alcohol, probably because they were already so widespread at the time the legislation was written. The act divides drugs into different classes, or “schedules,” based on their potential for abuse and medical usefulness. The original phrasing of the CSA was quite specific about the names of controlled substances, allowing people to use designer drugs as a legal loophole.