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Arizona Legislature Passes Bill Classifying Soma as a Schedule IV Drug
July 24, 2003

During its most recent session, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill classifying the muscle relaxer Carisoprodol, known more commonly by the brand name Soma, as a Schedule IV drug, making Arizona one of a handful of states to classify the drug as a controlled substance.

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Arizona Senate Bill 1300 will take effect September 18, and will place Carisoprodol in the same legal classification as Valium. Federal law states that Schedule IV drugs are those "which have low potential for abuse but may lead to physical or psychological dependence." States can classify certain drugs as controlled substances, while the drugs remain uncontrolled federally. A 2000 DEA report stated that Carisoprodol is the most abused non-controlled substance.

Carisoprodol is metabolized to meprobamate, an anti-anxiety drug already classified federally under the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule IV drug. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, this conversion of may be a reason for its abuse, as it can prolong the effects of other drugs like alcohol or certain narcotics.

An increase in the non-medical use of Carisoprodol is being seen across the country. The drug often is abused by those who use more than one drug, especially those dependent on opioids such as Oxycontin. According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, emergency rooms have seen a 50% increase in visits involving the non-medical use of Carisoprodol in the past several years, going from 6,100 ER mentions in 1997 to 11,200 in 2001.