# Why is pholcodeine super duper illegal in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pholcodeine-super-duper-illegal-in-the-us/647184 "2013-01-14T17:05:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pholcodeine-super-duper-illegal-in-the-us/647184/1 "2013-01-14T17:05:59Z")
It’s not abusable, it’s very hard to overdose, it has a use in a cough syrup (in as much as any cough syrup works), as far as I know it’s not easy to chemically change into something more “interesting” - why is pholocodeine a schedule 1 chemical? Just cause it has the word codeine in it? ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pholcodeine-super-duper-illegal-in-the-us/647184/2 "2013-01-15T06:28:13Z")
According to Wiki (bless them - everybody! Nobody pays for Wiki - it’s like street entertainers - if you enjoy having them around, pony up!) says it’s found in cough drops in the US. Why should any opiate be passed around freely? The US has a “deny first” mentality - it outlaws anything it considers a remotely abused drug - and allows only if an overwhelming need is shown. For instance: hydrocodone: Sch II by itself; Sch III if compounded (vicoden, et al.) ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pholcodeine-super-duper-illegal-in-the-us/647184/3 "2013-01-15T06:43:29Z")
Given how many Americans (not a majority, just a lot) are obsessed with “getting high” in whatever way they can, keeping anything even vaguely narcotic under strict control is barely enough to keep the druggies in check. btw, I live in the Washington state, so I’m depressingly familiar with druggies and their habits. ---
**Author:** ![Kamrusepas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@Kamrusepas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamrusepas)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pholcodeine-super-duper-illegal-in-the-us/647184/4 "2013-01-15T13:44:06Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > Given how many Americans (not a majority, just a lot) are obsessed with “getting high” in whatever way they can, (…) Not just Americans. I’m fairly sure that it’s a universal (or at least global) thing and not just limited to humans, either. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pholcodeine-super-duper-illegal-in-the-us/647184/5 "2013-01-16T06:26:36Z")
I was about to post this very same thread the other day, this is a real baffler of a schedule 1 drug. I’ve read some WHO studies where they gave this to addicts in WD in various doses and zip zero effect. I kinda want to bring some pholcodine linctus as a souvenir:) ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pholcodeine-super-duper-illegal-in-the-us/647184/6 "2013-01-16T06:35:00Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > Given how many Americans (not a majority, just a lot) are obsessed with “getting high” in whatever way they can, keeping anything even vaguely narcotic under strict control is barely enough to keep the druggies in check. > > btw, I live in the Washington state, so I’m depressingly familiar with druggies and their habits. WHO has done studies where they gave pholcodine to druggies and opiate addicts in WD, none reported any effect or relief at any dose. I did some quick checking on druggie forums on the internet, no one claims any kind of narcotic effect from pholcodine, thats pretty remarkable. I can’t find one claim that pholcodine produced any kind of effect.