[cc-d]

GABAergenics (the class of drug which benzodiazepines fall under) in general are pretty much the sole class of popular recreational drug which have a very real possibility of lethal withdrawals.

In the case of alcohol, it often takes years for addicts to reach a point where withdrawal becomes lethal. In the case of short acting benzodiazepines/barbiturates, this point can be reached in less than a month.

Of course, benzodiazepines are in schedule IV, which means they are viewed as being rather benign with no/low potential for abuse. In the eyes of the federal government, alprazolam (xanax) is far less dangerous than marijuana/the traditional psychedelics.

Just another data point demonstrating the utter absurdity of US drug legislation and regulation.

[jnovek]

The DEA drug schedule is a hot mess.

https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling

There's no planet where Ritalin has a higher potential for abuse and addiction than Xanax. Not to mention all the lower-risk drugs that have been categorized schedule I for political reasons.

Under the current system rohypnol is schedule IV but has special date rape laws passed to make possession of it punishable like a schedule I drug as a workaround.

[cc-d]

>There's no planet where Ritalin has a higher potential for abuse and addiction than Xanax.

Most of the prescription opiates such as Hydromorphone, Oxycodone, etc are schedule II as well.

>Not to mention all the lower-risk drugs that have been categorized schedule I for political reasons.

Not just for political reasons (clonazolam would be FAR superior than anything currently scheduled as a 'date-rape' drug, thanks for keeping us safe politicians), but also anything 'new' is often placed in schedule I by default, without any consideration as to the actual properties of the drug.

A great recent example of this is whenever the DEA moved to schedule kratom as schedule I. Kratom. The DEA, in an age where it gets constant flack for classifying marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, attempted to classify kratom as having more potential for abuse than Hydromorphone.

It's an absolute fucking sham, but goodluck seeking a political career while being seen as anything other than 'TOUGH ON DRUGS!'.

[subleq]

You have your schedules mixed up. All controlled substances have a potential for abuse. Schedule IV drugs only have a 'low' potential for abuse 'relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule III', not low overall. You could argue that it should be schedule III, but all controlled substances, regardless of their schedule, are more tightly controlled than any other unscheduled prescription-only drug.

Omeprazole is not a controlled substance and is OTC in the United States.

[cc-d]

https://www.health24.com/Medical/Meds-and-you/Medication/Ome...

You're right, the website that had showed up in google that I had used for my prilosec example is either incorrect or using some non-DEA scheduling sytem. I'll use another comparatively ridiculous example and re-edit my comments with the correction.

[delbel]

iodine is a schedule I substance.

[endianswap]

You mean GABAergenic, right?

[cc-d]

I had copy-pasted a typo from a section of my other comment, good catch.