Controlled drugs are psychoactive substances and their precursors whose production, distribution, and use are legally restricted to medical and scientific purposes. Their classification and level of control vary across countries but are generally governed by international drug conventions, including the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (amended 1972), the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
For broader legal and international context, see the EUDA Law Topics and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), which monitors compliance with UN drug control conventions.
Sources: HRB