Federal Analogue Act (original) (raw)

The Federal Analogue Act, 21 U.S.C. § 813, is a section of the United States Controlled Substances Act passed in 1986 which allows any chemical "substantially similar" to a controlled substance listed in Schedule I or II to be treated as if it were listed in Schedule I, but only if intended for human consumption. These similar substances are often called designer drugs. The law's constitutionality has been questioned by now Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch; its broad reach has been used to successfully prosecute possession of chemicals openly sold as dietary supplements and naturally contained in foods such as chocolate.