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11/10/09
Most bodybuilders are familiar with the original Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1989. Chances are good that you’ve seen it referenced or perhaps heard it cursed by your peers seeking a source for anabolic steroids, only to run into a wall because it’s simply not legal for them to buy, sell, possess or use any of the many controlled substances listed by the original act. What many bodybuilders aren’t familiar with is the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2004 and activated into law in early 2005.
This second bill was also sponsored at the time by Senator Joe Biden, who eventually became Vice President as a result of the 2008 Presidential Election. While President Barrack Obama has been fairly vocal in his belief that there are bigger fish to fry than small-time steroid users, Biden and the majority of Congress believe that all anabolic steroids should be sold only to those with a legitimate prescription, given to them by their physician based upon major proof of need.
The majority of Americans feel the same way as well. Even though many bodybuilders, researchers, and sports nutritionists have conducted a great deal of research showing the positive benefits of responsible steroid use, the majority of the population still sees them as the drug choice of cheaters, here to destroy the children of America. Since Congress works to vote for the interests and beliefs of the majority of Americans, the outcome is pretty much set, for today and for years to come. The next Anabolic Steroid Control Act will probably come in another few years, and will probably include many items or classes of items we enjoy today without reserve. Appreciate them while we have them! Thirty years ago, most bodybuilders thought they’d be able to freely pick up Dianabol from their gym or pharmacy forever as well. My, how things have changed!
Let’s get back to the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004. The bill is wordy and the technical vernacular great, but the bottom line with the 2004 Act, in comparison with the 1989 Act, is that steroids no longer need to be proven to work in order to make their way to the illegal/banned list. When the original Act was passed, the list of compounds which was prohibited was limited to the list of those substances which had been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be effective in users for building muscle mass. Artificial testosterone and many other oral drugs we know (and love!) so much made that list. If a drug was known to work, it was banned.
This new Anabolic Steroid Control Act takes things a step further. Any drug with the potential for muscle growth can now be classified. This neutralizes the previously effective underground manufacturing efforts of the basement chemists who are now able to manipulate a few segments of the molecular structure and make an illegal steroid into a legal over-the-counter product. It’s another blow to bodybuilders hoping to obtain anabolic steroids, but one that needs to be accepted and worked around.
