A new synthetic drug will soon be treated like heroin or ecstasy

The US Drug Enforcement Administration wants to classify the synthetic drug diphenidine as a Schedule I controlled substance. This means making, selling, or even possessing the drug would carry the same severe penalties as heroin or ecstasy.

New synthetic drugs appear constantly. The US government has a process to make them illegal, often to meet international agreements. This proposed rule is how a specific new drug moves from unregulated to fully criminalized.