Opinion ID: 369698
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: scheduling of methaqualone as a controlled substance

Text: 78 Appellants contend further that methaqualone was never validly made a Schedule II controlled substance. They argue that the Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) did not have the authority to schedule methaqualone under 21 U.S.C.A. §§ 811 and 812. 79 The facts show that the Attorney General transferred his authority to schedule drugs as controlled substances to the DEA in 1973. 38 Fed.Reg. 18380 (1973). On June 29, 1973, the Attorney General issued Order No. 522-73 designating John R. Bartels to perform the duties and act of Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The order which went into effect July 1, 1973, was never published in the Federal Register. On October 2, 1973, Mr. Bartels issued an order placing methaqualone in Schedule II of the controlled substances listed in 21 U.S.C.A. § 812. 38 Fed.Reg. 27519 (1973). 80 The constitutional issue of whether the Attorney General can properly delegate his power to schedule drugs as controlled substances to the DEA was considered by this court in United States v. Gordon, 580 F.2d 827 (5 Cir. 1978), Cert. denied, 439 U.S. 1051, 99 S.Ct. 731, 58 L.Ed.2d 711 (1978). This court concluded that the delegation of the authority to schedule drugs to the DEA was constitutionally permissible. 81 The delegation in the instant case involves an acting administrator and a delegation order that was not published in the Federal Register. The authority of the Attorney General to delegate his power to the Acting Administrator of the DEA is well settled. United States v. Gordon, supra, 28 U.S.C.A. § 510. 21 However, the validity of this delegation of authority is questioned by the Appellants because the order making it was not published. 82 There are two federal statutes which contain the requirements for publication in the Federal Register. They are 44 U.S.C.A. § 1505(a) and (b) and 5 U.S.C.A. § 552(a)(1). 22 83 Title 5 U.S.C.A. § 552(a)(1) has been interpreted to mean that its requirement for publication attaches only to matters which if not published would adversely affect a member of the public. Hogg v. United States, 428 F.2d 274, 280 (6 Cir. 1970), Cert. denied, 401 U.S. 910, 91 S.Ct. 871, 27 L.Ed.2d 808 (1971). In that case the court considered the nonpublication of internal instructions by the Attorney General to officers of the Department of Justice regarding their functions in the conduct of litigation in which the United States was a party. In deciding that the involved taxpayer would not be adversely affected by the nonpublication of the instructions in question, the court stated: 84 We hold that the Administrative Procedure Act does not require that all internal delegations of authority from the Attorney General must be published in order to be effective. 428 F.2d at 280. 85 Applying the statutory and case law publication requirements to the facts in the case before us, we find that there is no statutory provision which requires the publication of the appointment of the acting administrator. In addition, this appointment is not such a matter that if not published would adversely affect a member of the public. Hogg v. United States, supra ; see also Chevron Oil Co. v. Andrus, 588 F.2d 1383 (5 Cir. 1979). We conclude, therefore, that the nonpublication of the Attorney General's order delegating authority to the Acting Administrator of the DEA did not affect its validity. Therefore, we hold that the Acting Administrator did have authority to schedule methaqualone as a Schedule II controlled substance, and that such scheduling was valid and proper. United States v. Gordon, supra. 86 Based on our disposition of the issues in this case as set out above, we hold that the Appellants' convictions are affirmed. 87 AFFIRMED.