This has always been a
contentious question among users of anabolic-androgenic
steroids (AAS), especially
the novices, as many online pharmacies and steroid sites offer numerous
‘legal’ steroids. If you see such ads, our advice is you better think
twice before taking the bait since legal
steroids are too good to be
true.
Under the
United
States
federal law, anabolic-androgenic steroids are controlled substances.
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act
of 1990 loosely defined anabolic-androgenic steroids as
“any drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically
related to testosterone.”
Said act exempts estrogens, progestins, and
corticosteroids.
This definition was modified by the Anabolic
Steroid Control Act of 2004, which was signed into federal
law in October 2004. Under this new law, prohormones are included in
the definition and thereby classifying tetrahydrogestrinone
(THG),
androstenedione, and specified related chemicals as controlled
substances. This same law, which took effect January 2005,
also
increased the penalty for its violators. Punishment for trafficking of
anabolic steroids has been elevated from a misdemeanor to a felony. On
parenthetical note,
you
can thank Sen. Joe Biden, et. al., for pushing
for such amendments.
Legal
or Illegal Prohormones?
A prohormone is a precursor to a hormone, which usually exerts hormonal
effects once inside the system when it is converted into a hormone.
Conversion of prohormone to hormone is via enzymatic processes and it
principally occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. After ingestion,
prohormones are metabolized into testosterone.
As such, prohormones are
capable of eliciting muscle and strength gains since they exert
basically the same anabolic and androgenic effects as anabolic
steroids.
Prohormones, sometimes referred to as steroid precursors
or
pro-steroids, “are one step removed from the substances regulated in
the law” as Biden put it on the Senate floor during his sponsorship of
the amendments on the Controlled
Substances Act. Meanwhile, the
World-Anti Doping
Agency
called them “functional equivalent of
steroids”
and concluded that they pose serious health risks to users
similar to those observed with anabolic steroid intake.
Before the signing of the Anabolic
Steroids Control Act of 2004,
prohormones enjoyed legal status. Prior to the implementation of this
law, prohormones were popular among bodybuilders and athletes who
veered away from anabolic steroids precisely because of the legal
risks. Remember the case of
Mark
McGwire? McGwire
had used
androstenedione when it was still an over-the-counter
supplement.
Andro, which was originally manufactured as a dietary supplement, was
called as McGwire’s little home run pill. It had enjoyed patronage from
Major League players during the 1990s. The compound is now banned by
WADA and by major sports organizations. Andro is also a prohibited
substance in the US military.
Legal
Steroid
Analogs?
As for steroid analogs,
well, the government pretty much covered
steroid analogs also. They came up with the Federal
Analog Act
(specifically pertaining to drugs under Schedule I and II), a section
of the Controlled
Substances Act, which classifies a compound that is
“substantially similar” in structure and effect to a controlled
substance as a controlled compound. Designer drugs are generally
classified as analogs.
So if someone sells you a steroid analog and tells you that it’s legal,
you better cross out that option since it is considered illegal
compound under this act. That is, if the substance really contains a
chemical that is “substantially similar” to an anabolic steroid. If
it
does not contain any thing that can exert any form of enhancement, then
you’re just being ripped off.
Legal
Steroid Alternatives?
Now, if someone offers you legal
steroids alternatives, such as protein
powders and creatine,
it is (legally) safer for you to take them.
As opposed to anabolic-androgenic
steroids, nutritional supplements do
not require prescription – they can be bought over the counter. They
are not banned by any of the major sports organizations. And, yes, they
are legal in the United States.
After the discussion above, you have now (hopefully) better protection
against those who will try to sell you legal
steroids.
And since you need to know all about the legal aspects of steroid use,
the next question that should be answered is: “Is it legal to buy
steroids
from Internet pharmacies operating outside the United States?”
The answer to
that is yes and no.
The Drug
Enforcement Agency
is explicit with this provision: "For a prescription to be
valid under federal and state law, there must be a bona fide doctor
patient relationship, which is defined by most state laws to require a
physical examination. “Completing a questionnaire that is then reviewed
by a doctor hired by the internet pharmacy could not be considered the
basis for a doctor/patient relationship.”
"Moreover, if the prescription drug is a controlled substance and the
drug is being imported into the U.S. from a foreign country and being
shipped to anyone other than a DEA-registered importer, such
transaction is a felony in violation of Sections 957 and 960 of Title
21, United States Code."
Can
you Buy Steroids online?
Yes, you can buy
steroids and legal
steroids on the internet. There is an
FDA
law allowing a 90
day personal supply of medicine. Anabolic
steroids are a
legitimate legal
prescription medicine. Steroids are used
for many
medical conditions, from HIV/AIDS
patients to Cancer
patients.
"In
1988 the FDA issued a
directive regarding the importation of medications for personal use.
This came about as a result of the tremendous pressure the FDA got from
senior citizens, aids activists etc. In addition, drug prices were
outpacing inflation by some 12%. Their guideline was a 90 day supply,
for personal use only."