The Harrison Narcotic Act regulates which substances?

• A. Opium and coca derivatives
• B. Cocaine
• C. Narcotics
• D. Schedule II medications

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how early federal laws regulated drugs by focusing on their sources rather than using modern scheduling. The Harrison Narcotic Act, passed in 1914, targeted opium and coca derivatives—the substances derived from opium poppies and from coca leaves—and it required those dealing with these drugs to register, pay taxes, and obtain licenses. This created a federal control framework specifically for opiate and coca-based products, shaping narcotics regulation for decades. It did not establish modern schedule classifications (that comes from the later Controlled Substances Act), and it isn’t as broad as “narcotics” in general, nor limited to cocaine alone. So the substances regulated by this act are opium and coca derivatives.