In Australia, substances are classified and scheduled under the Poisons Standard (the current edition of which is formally titled the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons, or SUSMP), which is a legislative instrument made under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth). The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) maintains the Poisons Standard and is the primary Commonwealth authority responsible for scheduling decisions. Each schedule carries distinct restrictions on manufacture, labelling, supply, and possession.
Schedules 8 and 9 represent the most restrictive categories relevant to controlled substances. Schedule 8 (S8) covers drugs of dependence , including opioids, certain stimulants, and some cannabinoids , which may be legally prescribed but are subject to strict record-keeping, storage, and prescription requirements that vary by state and territory. Schedule 9 designates prohibited substances, such as heroin and (with limited Authorised Prescriber exceptions introduced in 2023) psilocybin and MDMA; possession or supply outside those narrow lawful pathways constitutes a criminal offence under applicable state and territory law.
The term "controlled substance" is also used in international treaty law. Australia is a signatory to three United Nations drug conventions , the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971), and the Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988); which set baseline international obligations for scheduling and enforcement that member states are required to incorporate into domestic law.
Scheduling is not static. The TGA accepts scheduling proposals and conducts delegate reviews; decisions may upgrade, downgrade, or reclassify a substance based on emerging evidence regarding safety, dependence liability, and therapeutic utility. State and territory health legislation operates concurrently with the Commonwealth framework, meaning a substance's practical legal status can differ across jurisdictions even when its schedule under the SUSMP is uniform.
Sources:
- Poisons Standard and scheduling of medicines and poisons, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (current instrument), Federal Register of Legislation
- International Drug Control Conventions; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)