Tianeptine, a Drug in the Gray Market, Faces Federal Schedule III Ban in 90 Days

The Scheduling Tianeptine and Analogues Now to Defend Against Emerging Opioids Act—or the STAND Act for short—is a straight shot at regulating a substance that has been popping up on the radar of public health officials. What’s the punchline? This bill immediately moves the drug tianeptine and all its chemical cousins (analogues, salts, etc.) into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, a move that kicks in 90 days after the bill is signed into law. This is a big deal because Schedule III drugs are tightly controlled, requiring a prescription, and unauthorized possession can lead to serious legal trouble.

The Move from Gray Market to Controlled Substance

Right now, tianeptine exists in a regulatory gray area. It’s often sold online or in certain stores as a supplement, sometimes marketed for mood enhancement or pain relief, but it’s not FDA-approved for medical use in the U.S. Crucially, it has opioid-like effects, and reports of addiction and withdrawal have surged. By placing it in Schedule III, Congress is essentially saying, “This substance has a clear potential for abuse, and we’re shutting down the easy access.” This classification puts it in the same category as drugs like Tylenol with codeine or anabolic steroids, acknowledging its medical utility (if any is found) but restricting its availability due to abuse concerns (Section 202(c)).

Who Gets Hit by the 90-Day Clock?

If you’re currently using tianeptine—whether you bought it online for self-medication or found it in a local shop—you need to pay attention to the 90-day countdown. After that window closes, possessing tianeptine without a valid prescription becomes a federal crime. For the average person, this means a substance that was once a legal, if unregulated, purchase suddenly becomes a serious legal liability. This is a rapid shift that directly impacts individuals who may be struggling with dependence, giving them a short window to adjust before facing criminal penalties.

The Analogue Problem: Sweeping Up Cousins

One of the most significant elements in the STAND Act is the broad language: it schedules tianeptine and any of its analogues, salts, isomers, or salts of isomers. This is the policy equivalent of a massive fishing net. An analogue is a substance that is chemically similar to the scheduled drug. The intent is clear: prevent manufacturers from making minor chemical tweaks to create a new, unscheduled drug that acts exactly like the banned one. However, this broad definition means that many related compounds, which may or may not have the same abuse potential, are automatically swept into the Schedule III restrictions. This level of regulatory reach is vast and could easily capture other substances based purely on chemical structure, regardless of their real-world impact or lack thereof. For chemists and researchers, this is a major regulatory headache; for the public, it means the government is claiming broad authority over structurally similar compounds based on the threat posed by the parent drug.