Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of Diphenidine in Schedule I
Key claim: The DEA has permanently placed diphenidine in Schedule I, so manufacturing, distributing, importing, exporting, researching, or possessing it now carries the same criminal and regulatory penalties as other Schedule I drugs.
Abstract
(Rule · Justice Department, Drug Enforcement Administration) With the issuance of this final rule, the Drug Enforcement Administration places the substance diphenidine (1-(1,2- diphenylethyl)piperidine), including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers whenever the existence of such salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is possible, in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. This action is being taken, in part, to enable the United States to meet its obligations under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This action imposes the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled substances on persons who handle (manufacture, distribute, reverse distribute, import, export, engage in research, conduct instructional activities or chemical analysis with, or possess) or propose to handle diphenidine.
Why this matters
Final Schedule I placement converts diphenidine from an unregulated research chemical and gray-market dissociative into a federally controlled substance, triggering the full set of CSA criminal and administrative penalties for anyone who makes, ships, researches, or possesses it. The action continues a steady cadence of DEA scheduling decisions responding to novel psychoactive substances, often to meet U.S. treaty obligations under the 1971 Psychotropic Convention.