Under federal law, drugs and other controlled substances are divided into five categories called “schedules” depending on the drug’s dangers and potential medical benefits.
Schedule I drugs have no currently accepted medical application and have a high potential for abuse. These include heroin, LSD, and cannabis.
Schedule II drugs are those with a high potential for abuse or addiction but with some potential medical value. Examples of schedule II drugs are cocaine, OxyContin, and Adderall.
Schedule III drugs are drugs or other substances with moderate to low potential for addiction like anabolic steroids or supplemental testosterone.
Schedule IV drugs are those with medical value and low risk of addiction, including Xanax, Ambien, and Valium.
Schedule V drugs are deemed to have a low potential for addiction and consist of substances that contain small quantities of certain narcotics. This includes cough medicine containing codeine, for example.