Narcotic
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with sleep-inducing properties, and euphoric properties as well. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates and opioids, commonly morphine and heroin, as well as derivatives of many of the compounds found within raw opium latex. The primary three are morphine, codeine, and thebaine.
Legally speaking, the term "narcotic" may be imprecisely defined and typically has negative connotations. When used in a legal context in the U.S., a narcotic drug is one that is totally prohibited, such as heroin, or one that is used in violation of governmental regulation.
In the medical community, the term is more precisely defined and generally does not carry the same negative connotations.
Statutory classification of a drug as a narcotic often increases the penalties for violation of drug control statutes. For example, although U.S. federal law classifies both cocaine and amphetamines as "Schedule II" drugs, the penalty for possession of cocaine is greater than the penalty for possession of amphetamines because cocaine, unlike amphetamines, is classified as a narcotic.
United Nations
Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961
The adoption of this Convention is regarded as a milestone in the history of international drug ban. The Single Convention codified all existing multilateral treaties on drug control and extended the existing control systems to include the cultivation of plants that were grown as the raw material of narcotic drugs. The principal objectives of the Convention are to limit the possession, use, trade, distribution, import, export, manufacture and production of drugs exclusively to medical and scientific purposes, and to address drug trafficking through international cooperation to deter and discourage drug traffickers. The Convention also established the International Narcotics Control Board, merging the Permanent Central Board and the Drug Supervisory Board.The 1961 Convention seeks to control more than 116 drugs that it classifies as narcotic. These include:
- plant-based products such as opium and its derivatives morphine, codeine and heroin ;
- synthetic narcotics such as methadone and pethidine; and
- cannabis, coca and cocaine.
INCB Yellow List
This document contains the current list of narcotic drugs under international control and additionalinformation to assist governments in filling in the International Narcotics Control Board questionnaires
related to narcotic drugs, namely, form A, form B and form C.
In medicine, a chemical agent that induces stupor, coma, or insensibility to pain
.
In the context of international drug control, “narcotic drug” means any drug
defined as such under the 1961 Convention.
World Health Organization
Studies on the definition of ''counterfeit medicines'' in WHO member states
4. Assessment of the definitions of counterfeit medicines in Member States4.2 The nature of legal definitions: the unambiguity requirement
In order to avoid room for difference in interpretation, lawmakers sometimes deviate from etymological definitions. In doing so, they approach the term from the law enforcement point of view.
The best example is the definition of narcotics in the United Nations Conventions. Narcotics are substances and preparations that induce drowsiness, sleep, stupor, insensibility, etc., and that these effects are complicated to prove, e.g. during litigation. Thus, the legal definition of a narcotic is whether or not it is listed on the Schedules of the Convention. If it is on some of the Schedules, it is narcotic.
Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms published by the World Health Organization
The term usually refers to opiates or opioids, which are called narcotic analgesics. In common parlance and legal usage, it is often used imprecisely to mean illicit drugs, irrespective of their pharmacology. For example, narcotics control legislation in Canada, USA, and certain other countries includes cocaine and cannabis as well as opioids. Because of this variation in usage, the term is best replaced by one with a more specific meaning.United States
Section 1300.01 Definitions relating to controlled substances:
As used in parts 1301 through 1308 and part 1312 of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings specified:
The term narcotic drug means any of the following whether produced directly or indirectly by extraction from substances of vegetable origin or independently by means of chemical synthesis or by a combination of extraction and chemical synthesis:
Opium, opiates, derivatives of opium and opiates, including their isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, esters, and ethers whenever the existence of such isomers, esters, ethers and salts is possible within the specific chemical designation. Such term does not include the isoquinoline alkaloids of opium.
Poppy straw and concentrate of poppy straw.
Coca leaves, except coca leaves and extracts of coca leaves from which cocaine, ecgonine and derivatives of ecgonine or their salts have been removed.
Cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, and salts of isomers.
Ecgonine, its derivatives, their salts, isomers and salts of isomers.
Any compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of any of the substances referred to in paragraphs through of this section.
A 1984 amendment to 21 USC, Section 802
expanded and revised definition of "narcotic drug", including within term poppy straw, cocaine, and ecgonine.
''US v. Stieren''
608 F.2d 1135United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Decided Oct. 31, 1979. LAY, Circuit Judge.
John Arthur Stieren appeals from the judgment of conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and dispense under 21 U.S.C. § 841. Stieren contends that the statute is unconstitutional because "cocaine is classified as a narcotic under Schedule II of 21 U.S.C. § 812, when as a matter of scientific and medical fact cocaine is not a narcotic but is a non-narcotic stimulant."
The sufficiency of the evidence is not disputed. Stieren was convicted after special agents testified that he was in possession of and attempted to sell them a large quantity of cocaine. Defendant urges that the testimony and reports by physicians and scientists demonstrate that cocaine is not a narcotic. He also cites cases which hold that cocaine is not a narcotic under the pharmacological definition of the term. State v. Erickson, 574 P.2d 1.
It is within the legislative prerogative to classify cocaine, which is a non-narcotic central nervous system stimulant, as a narcotic for penalty and regulatory purposes. 21 U.S.C. § 802. The use of cocaine poses serious problems for the community and has a high potential for abuse. Congress' choice of penalty reflects a societal policy which must be adhered to by the courts.2 Congress has the power to reclassify cocaine. This power has been delegated to the Attorney General. 21 U.S.C. § 811. If cocaine is to be reclassified, defendant's arguments should be made to the legislative branch, not the courts.
We hold that Congress had a rational legislative purpose when it classified cocaine as a Schedule II narcotic drug for the purpose of imposing penalties.
JUDGMENT AFFIRMED.
History
The term "narcotic" is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that numb or deaden, causing loss of feeling or paralysis. It is based on the Greek word ναρκωσις , the term used by Hippocrates for the process of numbing or the numbed state. Galen listed mandrake root, altercus, seeds, and poppy juice as the chief examples. It originally referred to any substance that relieved pain, dulled the senses, or induced sleep. Now, the term is used in a number of ways. Some people might define narcotics as substances that bind at opioid receptors, while others refer to any illicit substance as a narcotic. From a U.S. legal perspective, narcotics refer to opium, opium derivatives, and their semi-synthetic substitutes, though in U.S. law, due to its numbing properties, cocaine is also considered a narcotic.Sense of "any illegal drug" first recorded 1926, Amer.Eng. The adj. is first attested c.1600. There are many different types of narcotics. The two most common forms of narcotic drugs are morphine and codeine. Both are synthesized from opium for medicinal use. The most commonly used drug for recreational purposes created from opium is heroin. Synthesized drugs created with an opium base for use in pain management are fentanyl, oxycodone, tramadol, pethidine, hydrocodone, methadone, and hydromorphone.
New forms of existing pain medications are being created regularly. The newest formulation to come out was in 2014, when zohydro, an increased dosage formula of hydrocodone was released; this it is the strongest hydrocodone formulation yet created for pain management, on par with moderate dose of oxycodone.