DEA list of chemicals

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains lists regarding the classification of illicit drugs (see DEA Schedules). It also maintains List I of chemicals and List II of chemicals, which contain chemicals that are used to manufacture the controlled substances/illicit drugs. The list is designated within the Controlled Substances Act^[1] but can be modified by the U.S. Attorney General as illegal manufacturing practices change.

Although the list is controlled by the Attorney General, the list is considered a DEA list because the DEA publishes and enforces the list.

Suppliers of these products are subject to regulation and control measures:^[2]

Regulation	List I	List II	Tableting and Encapsulating Machines	Special Surveillance List
Know your customer	X	X	X	X
Annual manufacturing, inventory, and use reports for bulk manufacturers	X	X	X
15 day advanced DEA notice required for imports, exports, and transshipments	X	X
15 day advanced DEA notice required for international transactions	X	X
Keep transaction records for at least two years	X	X
Maintain effective security controls	X	X
Required reporting for unusual sales and losses or sales to DEA-identified companies	X	X
Registration required for manufacturing, distribution, import, or export	X
Reports of mail-order sales to non-regulated entities	X

List I chemicals

These chemicals are designated as those that are used in the manufacture of the controlled substances and are important to the manufacture of the substances:^[3]

Chemical	Illicit drug
Alpha-phenylacetoacetonitrile and its salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers (APAAN)	phenylacetone, methamphetamine, amphetamine
Anthranilic acid, its esters, and its salts	methaqualone and analogues
Benzyl cyanide	phenylacetic acid, phenylacetone, amphetamine
Ephedrine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers	methamphetamine
Ergonovine and its salts	lysergic acid diethylamide
Ergotamine and its salts	lysergic acid diethylamide
N-Acetylanthranilic acid, its esters, and its salts	methaqualone
Norpseudoephedrine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers	amphetamine
Phenylacetic acid, its esters, and its salts	phenylacetone, amphetamine, methamphetamine
Phenylpropanolamine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Piperidine and its salts	phencyclidine and analogues
Pseudoephedrine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers	methamphetamine
3,4-Methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone	MDMA, MDA, MDEA, MDOH
Methylamine and its salts	methamphetamine
Ethylamine and its salts	etilamfetamine
Propionic anhydride	fentanyl
Isosafrole	MDMA, MDA
Safrole	MDMA, MDA
Piperonal	MDMA, MDA
N-Methylephedrine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers	methamphetamine
N-Methylpseudoephedrine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers	methamphetamine
Hydroiodic acid	methamphetamine, amphetamine
Benzaldehyde	methamphetamine, amphetamine
Nitroethane	methamphetamine, amphetamine
Gamma butyrolactone (other names include: GBL; dihydro-2(3H)-furanone; 1,2-butanolide; 1,4-butanolide; 4-hydroxybutanoic acid lactone; gamma-hydroxybutyric acid lactone)	Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)
Red phosphorus	methamphetamine, amphetamine
White phosphorus (other names: yellow phosphorus)	methamphetamine, amphetamine
Hypophosphorous acid and its salts (including ammonium hypophosphite, calcium hypophosphite, iron hypophosphite, potassium hypophosphite, manganese hypophosphite, magnesium hypophosphite and sodium hypophosphite)	methamphetamine, amphetamine
N-Phenethyl-4-piperidone (NPP)	fentanyl
Iodine	methamphetamine, amphetamine
Ergocristine and its salts	lysergic acid diethylamide
N-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)-N-phenylpropionamide (benzylfentanyl) and its salts	fentanyl
N-phenylpiperidin-4-amine(4-anilinopiperidine; N-phenyl-4-piperidinamine; 4-AP), its amides, its carbamates, and its salts	fentanyl
3,4-MDP-2-P methyl glycidate (PMK glycidate) and its optical and geometric isomers	MDMA and other "ecstasy"-type substances
3,4-MDP-2-P methyl glycidic acid (PMK glycidic acid) and its salts, optical and geometric isomers, and salts of isomers	MDMA and other "ecstasy"-type substances
Alpha-phenylacetoacetamide (APAA) and its optical isomers	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Methyl alpha-phenylacetoacetate (MAPA; methyl 3-oxo-2-phenylbutanoate) and its optical isomers	phenylacetone, methamphetamine, amphetamine
4-Piperidone	fentanyl
1-boc-4-AP (tert-butyl 4-(phenylamino)piperidine-1-carboxylate) and its salts	fentanyl

List II chemicals

These chemicals are designated as those that are used in the manufacture of controlled substances:^[4]

1. Acetic anhydride
2. Acetone
3. Benzyl chloride
4. Diethyl ether
5. Potassium permanganate
6. 2-Butanone (or methyl ethyl ketone or MEK)
7. Toluene
8. Hydrochloric acid (including anhydrous hydrogen chloride)
9. Sulfuric acid
10. Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)
11. Sodium permanganate

Special Surveillance List

Chemicals

All listed chemicals^[5] as specified in 21 CFR 1310.02 (a) or (b). This includes supplements which contain a listed chemical, regardless of their dosage form or packaging and regardless of whether the chemical mixture, drug product or dietary supplement is exempt from regulatory controls. For each chemical, its illicit manufacturing use is given in parentheses. Some Special Surveillance List chemicals do not have an exclusive manufacturing use for a specific illicit drug but rather have a broad range of uses in both legitimate and illicit manufacturing operations.

Chemical	Illicit drug
Phenyl-2-nitropropene	substituted amphetamines
1-(4-bromophenyl)propan-1-one	substituted cathinones and substituted amphetamines
1-(4-chlorophenyl)propan-1-one	substituted cathinones and substituted amphetamines
1-(4-methylphenyl)propan-1-one	substituted cathinones and substituted amphetamines
Carbonyldiimidazole	LSD
1,1-Dichloro-1-fluoroethane	solvent
N-benzyl-4-piperidone	fentanyl
chloroephedrine	methamphetamine
Butyrophenone	substituted cathinones
Valerophenone	substituted cathinones
Propiophenone	substituted cathinones
2C-H	2C-x and DOx
2-bromo-1-(4-chlorophenyl)propan-1-one	substituted cathinones and substituted amphetamines
2-bromo-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)propan-1-one	substituted cathinones and substituted amphetamines
2-bromo-1-(4-methylphenyl)propan-1-one	substituted cathinones and substituted amphetamines
2-bromo-1-phenylpentan-1-one	substituted cathinones and substituted amphetamines
2-bromo-1-phenylpropan-1-one	substituted cathinones and substituted amphetamines
BMK glycidic acid and esters	methamphetamine
3-oxo-2-phenylbutanoic acid and its esters	methamphetamine
3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-nitropropene (MDP2NP)	MDMA
Ammonia gas	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Ammonium formate	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Azobisisobutyronitrile	radical initiator
Bromobenzene	phencyclidine
1,4-Butanediol	GHB and Gamma-Butyrolactone
Cyclohexanone	phencyclidine
Diethylamine and its salts	lysergic acid diethylamide
ethyl 3-oxo-4-phenylbutanoate	phenylacetone
ethyl-3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate (MDP2P ethyl glycidate)	MDMA
Formamide	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Formic acid	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Lithium aluminum hydride	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Lithium metal	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Magnesium metal (turnings)	phencyclidine
Mercuric chloride	amphetamine, methamphetamine
methyl 2-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-3-oxobutanoate	MDMA
N-Methylformamide	amphetamine, methamphetamine
Organomagnesium halides (Grignard reagents) (e.g. ethylmagnesium bromide and phenylmagnesium bromide)	phencyclidine
ortho-Toluidine	methaqualone
2-Phenylethyl bromide	fentanyl
Phenylethanolamine and its salts
Phosphorus pentachloride	lysergic acid diethylamide
Potassium dichromate	general-purpose oxidizing agent
Pyridine and its salts	general-purpose solvent
Sodium borohydride	reducing agent
Sodium dichromate	general-purpose oxidizing agent
Sodium metal	phenylacetone
Sodium triacetoxyborohydride	reducing agent
para-fluoro-1-boc-4-anilopiperidine	parafluorofentanyl
Thioglycolic acid	modafinil
Thionyl chloride	lysergic acid diethylamide
Trichloromonofluoromethane (aka freon-11, carrene-2)
1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (aka freon 113)

Equipment

The equipment list:^[5]

• 22-liter heating mantles
• Encapsulating machines
• Hydrogenators
• Tableting machines, including punches and dies

See also

• Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act
• Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005
• Drug precursors
• European law on drug precursors