Talk:Controlled Substances Act

How many kinds of aerosol cans use nitrous oxide as a propellant? Whipped cream uses it because of its very high lipid solubility; it readily dissolves in the cream under pressure in the can. (N2O's utility as an anesthetic is also due to its lipid solubility.) When the cream is released from the can, the nitrous oxide comes out of solution and produces a foam.

I don't see how N2O would be a useful propellant in other applications where its lipid solubility is not relevant. In fact I believe the standard aerosol propellant (after freon was banned) is propane.

It might be worth pointing out that the nitrous oxide widely used as an oxidizer in racing and hybrid amateur rocketry is usually denatured with ~100 ppm sulfur dioxide to discourage abuse by inhalation.

I am not sure that cocaine has a medical use.

Why Schedule?

Does anyone know why the categories are called Schedules? Why not "class", for example?

Just wanted to say that cocaine DOES have a medical use as a local anaesthetic. Although it is an archaic medicine to use in such a case, it is still regarded as legitimate, and cocaine hydrochloride is listed in the Physician's Desk Reference.