Which schedules have a low potential for abuse?

• A. Schedule I
• B. Schedule II
• C. Schedule III
• D. Schedule IV and V

Answer: (D)

Abuse potential is used to group controlled substances into five schedules, with risk decreasing as you move to higher numbers. Substances in the earliest schedules carry the highest abuse risk and the strictest controls, while those in the later schedules have the lowest risk and looser controls. The two schedules with the lowest potential for abuse are Schedule IV and Schedule V. They still require regulatory oversight, but their use is associated with the least risk of dependence relative to the other schedules. This is why the correct identification of low-abuse schedules points to the two highest-numbered groups.