Does FDA regulate illegal drugs?
Controlling the illegal use of “street” drugs such as heroin, cocaine and marijuana is the job of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). However, if a street drug were to be studied for legitimate medical uses, FDA would regulate it as an investigational drug. FDA-regulated prescription drugs such as barbiturates and amphetamines are sometimes abused and wind up as street drugs. These cases then fall into DEA’s jurisdiction.
