Reading Room Document

Research Authority of Drug Enforcement Administration

In this brief memo, the OLC reconsidered a previous conclusion that the DEA should seek legislation to clarify its ability to contract for research into drug abuse liability methodologies (i.e. research to create assessments of how likely it is that a drug could be abused after its release). Considering a then-contemporary shift in DEA focus towards research methodologies, the OLC agreed that these new projects more certainly fell within the scope of the Attorney General’s authority under the Controlled Substances Act to institute research programs to carry out his function of scheduling controlled substances.

February 4, 1974