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List of Illegal Drugs

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has a list of illegal drugs separated into categories known as “schedules.” These schedules are determined and based on several factors, including whether the drug has any acceptable medical use and the potential for diversion, misuse, physiological and psychological dependence and addiction.

Misusing any substances—whether illegal drugs or legal—can have detrimental consequences on your physical and mental health.

In this article:

Schedule I Illegal Drugs

Schedule I drugs are put into this category because they have a high potential for misuse and no accepted medical use.

You can find a comprehensive list of all Schedule I drugs on the DEA’s website. Some of the more commonly used drugs on this list are:

  • Heroin
  • Marijuana
  • LSD
  • MDMA/Ecstasy
  • PCP
  • Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)

Heroin

Heroin comes from the opium poppy plant. It is often found in powder form, but also sometimes as a black sticky tar-like substance that you can snort, inject or smoke. People use this drug for its intense euphoria and relaxation. However, there are some short-term negative effects you may experience with its use, including:

  • Feeling hot or having skin flushes
  • Dry mouth
  • Feeling like your limbs are heavy
  • Stomach issues like nausea and vomiting
  • Severe itching
  • Impairment in mental functioning
  • Becoming unconscious or semi-conscious

Heroin use can easily lead to overdose, either by using too much of this opioid or because it’s cut with another extremely potent drug like fentanyl.

Marijuana

Marijuana is derived from the cannabis plant.  Marijuana can be used in many ways, including smoked, vaporized, eaten, brewed or topically. Marijuana alters your senses and may make pleasurable sensations even more enjoyable. However, there are some short-term negative effects you may experience when using, including:

  • Changes in mood such as paranoia, anxiety or depression
  • Problems with body movement
  • Memory issues or difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly

While marijuana is currently a Schedule 1 drug, as of early 2026, 24 states have legalized recreational use, and 38 states, plus Washington, D.C., and four U.S. territories, have legalized its use for medical purposes. Furthermore, on December 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled” Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research,” which instructed the Department of Justice to expedite rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule I substance to Schedule II. 

LSD

LSD is a synthetic hallucinogenic drug that is usually taken by mouth in tablet form, a food item or liquid. LSD’s hallucinogenic effect can cause you to see and hear things that are not there. Some of the other short-term effects include:

  • Feelings of despair
  • Extreme feelings of fear
  • Depression or other forms of psychosis

MDMA/Ecstasy

MDMA is a synthetic drug that has similar effects to both stimulants and hallucinogens, which make you feel energetic, happy, emotional closeness, and a distorted sense of time and surroundings. It is usually taken in tablet form, although you can also drink it as a liquid or snort it as a powder. The negative effects of ecstasy include:

  • Feeling nauseous
  • Muscle cramps
  • Vision problems
  • Chills or sweating
  • Mood changes, including irritability, anxiety, depression and aggression
  • Sleep problems

PCP

PCP or phencyclidine was initially developed as an anesthetic drug, but medical professionals stopped using it because of severe adverse effects. You can snort it, swallow tablets or smoke it, leading to altered thoughts with hallucinogenic and dissociative effects. PCP may also cause:

  • Psychological dependence
  • Compulsive behavior
  • Violent or suicidal behavior
  • Delusions and paranoia
  • Seizures or coma

Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)

Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) is a hallucinogenic drug similar to LSD, except it is naturally occurring. Mushrooms can be eaten or brewed into a tea that produces hallucinations and euphoric feelings. If you take psilocybin, you may be at risk of the following:

  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Muscle weakness or uncoordinated movements
  • Hallucinations that induce panic
  • Psychosis
  • Poisoning

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Schedule II Illegal Drugs

Drugs will get placed in this category if they have a high potential for misuse and if the misuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. One difference between Schedule II and Schedule I drugs is that Schedule II drugs have some accepted medical uses, though they are illegal for non-medical use.

List of Schedule II illegal drugs:

  • Fentanyl
  • Cocaine
  • Methamphetamine

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a prescription opioid drug used in medicine as a potent pain reliever and in surgical anesthesia. Unfortunately, people divert prescription fentanyl for misuse. Additionally,  fentanyl is illegally produced in labs and is either distributed as is or cut with other drugs like heroin.  Fentanyl is an extremely potent and potentially fatal opioid that is responsible for countless overdose deaths in the United States.

Fentanyl can be injected, snorted/sniffed, smoked, taken orally by pill or tablet, and spiked onto blotter paper. People abuse fentanyl for its effects such as relaxation, euphoria and pain relief. However, fentanyl use comes with several serious side effects, such as:

  • Mental confusion
  • Feeling drowsy or dizzy
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Trouble breathing
  • Overdose

Cocaine

Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from the coca plant. It can be used medically as a local anesthetic. It comes in powder form as a street drug that can be snorted, rubbed into your gums or liquified and injected. You may feel a burst of happiness and energy when taking this drug, but you may also experience:

  • Irritability
  • Paranoia
  • Hypersensitivity to sensory stimulation
  • Nausea
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Constricted blood vessels or elevated blood pressure

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is available as a prescription for obesity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In its illegal form, it is swallowed, snorted, injected or smoked. This drug produces a rush or high by releasing dopamine, a “feel-good” chemical in the brain. Some of the harmful effects may include:

  • Trouble sleeping
  • Rapid breathing and heart rate
  • Elevated blood pressure
  • Overheating
  • Anorexia
  • Memory problems
  • Dental issues

Other Illegal Drugs

Additionally, there are other prescription drugs not listed as Schedule II substances that are illegal to use without a prescription, such as:

Why Are Drugs Illegal?

Illegal drugs are those that are not prescribed by a doctor or bought at a drugstore. The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) was first established in 1970 and attempted to put certain guidelines in place to control illegal drugs.

The CSA identified certain factors in deciding whether a substance had the potential for misuse. The factors included:

  • Evidence that people are using the drug in amounts that create health hazards or decrease safety to the drug user or the surrounding community.
  • The selling and buying of the drug are significantly diverted from legitimate and controlled channels.
  • A significant number of people are using the drug outside of the advice or supervision of a medical professional.
  • A new drug is closely related to an existing drug that met the previous criteria.

If you or someone you know is using drugs and wants help quitting, call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) . Help is available.

Resources

  1. United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Drug Scheduling. United States Department of Justice.
  2. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice. (2020) Drugs of Abuse, A DEA Resource Guide (2020 Edition). Washington DC: Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice.
  3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Heroin DrugFacts. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  4. National Library of Medicine. Marijuana. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  5. National Drug Intelligence Center. LSD Fast Facts. United States Department of Justice.
  6. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024). MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) DrugFacts. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  7. National Drug Intelligence Center. PCP Fast Facts. United States Department of Justice.
  8. United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Drug Fact Sheet: Psilocybin. United States Department of Justice.
  9. United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Drug Fact Sheet: Fentanyl. United States Department of Justice.
  10. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Cocaine DrugFacts. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  11. United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Drug Fact Sheet: Methamphetamine. United States Department of Justice.

the Take-Away

Illegal narcotics are illegal because of their relative dangers. Some of these drugs are highly addictive, others are easy to overdose on, and others are powerful and unpredictable.

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