21 U.S.C. § 801
Congressional findings and declarations: controlled substances
The Congress makes the following findings and declarations:
“This title [enacting section 379 of Title 10 , Armed Forces, sections 1590, 1628, 1629, and 2081 of Title 19, Customs Duties, and section 312a of Title 47 , Telecommunications, amending section 959 of this title , sections 374 and 911 of Title 10, sections 507, 1401, 1433, 1436, 1454, 1459, 1497, 1509, 1584 to 1586, 1594 to 1595a, 1613, 1613b, 1619, and 1622 of Title 19, section 5316 of Title 31 , Money and Finance, section 12109 of Title 46 , Shipping, sections 1901 to 1904 of Title 46, Appendix, Shipping, and sections 1401, 1472, 1474, and 1509 of former Title 49, Transportation, repealing section 1460 of Title 19 , enacting provisions set out as notes under section 801 of this title , sections 371, 374, 525, and 9441 of Title 10, sections 1613b and 1654 of Title 19, section 403 of Title 23 , Highways, section 1901 of Title 46 , Appendix, section 11344 of Title 49 , and section 1509 of former Title 49, and repealing provisions set out as a note under section 89 of Title 14 , Coast Guard] may be cited as the ‘National Drug Interdiction Improvement Act of 1986’.
(1)
Many of the drugs included within this subchapter have a useful and legitimate medical purpose and are necessary to maintain the health and general welfare of the American people.
(2)
The illegal importation, manufacture, distribution, and possession and improper use of controlled substances have a substantial and detrimental effect on the health and general welfare of the American people.
(3)
A major portion of the traffic in controlled substances flows through interstate and foreign commerce. Incidents of the traffic which are not an integral part of the interstate or foreign flow, such as manufacture, local distribution, and possession, nonetheless have a substantial and direct effect upon interstate commerce because—
(A)
after manufacture, many controlled substances are transported in interstate commerce,
(B)
controlled substances distributed locally usually have been transported in interstate commerce immediately before their distribution, and
(C)
controlled substances possessed commonly flow through interstate commerce immediately prior to such possession.
(4)
Local distribution and possession of controlled substances contribute to swelling the interstate traffic in such substances.
(5)
Controlled substances manufactured and distributed intrastate cannot be differentiated from controlled substances manufactured and distributed interstate. Thus, it is not feasible to distinguish, in terms of controls, between controlled substances manufactured and distributed interstate and controlled substances manufactured and distributed intrastate.
(6)
Federal control of the intrastate incidents of the traffic in controlled substances is essential to the effective control of the interstate incidents of such traffic.
(7)
The United States is a party to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and other international conventions designed to establish effective control over international and domestic traffic in controlled substances.
( Pub. L. 91–513, title II, § 101 , Oct. 27, 1970 , 84 Stat. 1242 .)