ABSTRACT
Humankind has utilized dangerous and addictive medicines since prehistoric times, but with the increasing urbanization of the population and the changes in social structure that brings about, as well as the modern ability to synthesize new forms of drugs, the problems created by dangerous and addictive drugs were too much to be dealt with by families and communities alone. The government had made fitful, stuttering efforts at piecemeal controls dealing with narrow topics but had not addressed the major problems until the landmark Controlled Substance Act (CSA) in 1970. This act replaced more than 50 other minor pieces of legislation with a new concept and approach to regulation: limit and register those who are to be legally allowed to handle such substances. Anyone not registered is acting illegally, and those who are registered have narrowly defined rules of behavior to follow.
