Steroids - The Law

The Law

It is against the law to possess a Schedule III controlled substance without a valid prescription. It is also against the law to sell Schedule III controlled substances or their analogsDrugs created in a laboratory, having a slightly different chemical composition than a pharmaceutical, yet having the same effects on the brain as the pharmaceutical.. Penalties vary from state to state but can include high fines, probation, mandatory rehabilitation, a criminal record, and—especially with second and third offenses—jail time.

Chemists try to get around the law by creating steroids that cannot be detected in drug tests, or substances that can be called "dietary supplements." One anonymous "doctor" boasted to Sports Illustrated in2005:"Aguy on my stuff coul dwalk into the test with a needle in his [buttocks] and not worry." The same source said he knew of ten substances that could not be detected by urine tests.

The illegal creation of synthetic drugs that are not covered by law creates another challenge—that of detecting and revealing the substances and prosecuting their creators. The bust at the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative in 2003 led to the scheduling of THG, a substance once thought to be undetectable by tests.

As of 2005, creatine and DHEA were still legal over-the-counter dietary supplements. However, the FDA was studying the effects of DHEA overdose and considering adding it to the list of controlled substances.