Which statement regarding ketamine's scheduling is true?

Which statement regarding ketamine's scheduling is true?

• A. Ketamine is a Schedule II controlled substance
• B. Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance
• C. Ketamine is a Schedule I controlled substance
• D. Ketamine is not controlled

Answer: (B)

Scheduling is about balancing medical use with abuse potential. Ketamine has accepted medical uses as an anesthetic and analgesic, and its potential for abuse exists but is not as high as the drugs in the most restrictive schedules. That combination places it in Schedule III. It isn’t Schedule I (which implies no accepted medical use) and it is a controlled substance, not unscheduled. In federal law, ketamine is Schedule III; state laws can vary, but the general principle remains: medical use with a moderate potential for abuse.

Scheduling is about balancing medical use with abuse potential. Ketamine has accepted medical uses as an anesthetic and analgesic, and its potential for abuse exists but is not as high as the drugs in the most restrictive schedules. That combination places it in Schedule III. It isn’t Schedule I (which implies no accepted medical use) and it is a controlled substance, not unscheduled. In federal law, ketamine is Schedule III; state laws can vary, but the general principle remains: medical use with a moderate potential for abuse.