Confused about steroid definitions ... Me too!?

Here is a short summary of what I have read recently.

In April 2008, the Drug Enforcement Administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking for Classification of Three Steroids as Schedule III Anabolic Steroids Under the Controlled Substances Act. The DEA claims that boldione, desoxymethyltestosterone, and 19-nor- 4,9(10)-androstadienedione meet the four criteria in the statutory definition of an anabolic steroid

Some people believed there was a June 24, 2008 deadline for banning these compounds, but it was merely the date set for comments responding to the proposed rule and is not the date that the compounds became “banned.”

The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 is the legislation that authorizes the DEA to make rules to schedule substances as anabolic steroids and, thus, illegal controlled substances.

The DEA is bound to follow administrative law in exercising its rulemaking authority. Thus, the public is first informed of the proposed rule, which was accomplished through its April 25th notice.

Next, a time-period is established in order to permit the public to comment on the proposed rulemaking. Then, the DEA will analyze the comments submitted and respond. Generally a permanent record is kept of an agency’s analysis and the rule making process.

Finally, the DEA will determine whether the ingredients are anabolic steroids and whether they should be scheduled as controlled substances.

A Consultant serving as a watchdog for the Supplement Industry, named Supplement Consultants, saw that there was no intervention from the industry in this matter, and intervened in the DEA's proposed rulemaking by submitting a comment expressing the sentiment of many throughout the industry.

They objected to two products being added to the list of controlled substances, since they are legal dietary ingredients. They sent a detailed argument against the scheduling of these two ingredients, to the DEA and are waiting to see what the DEA's response will be.

The first "boldione," a naturally occurring hormone in cattle that has been sold since 2002 as a dietary supplement, was not shown to be an anabolic steroid in the studies submitted by the DEA.

The DEA also offered insufficient information regarding the second prohormone, 19-nor-4,9(10)- androstadienedione (known by the trade name "FinigenX"), to serve as the basis for scheduling the ingredient as a steroid.

There was no reliable data showing FinigenX to be anabolic in the DEA's study.