Frank Baum chose Kansas as the setting of The Wizard of Oz, so that the protagonist, Dorothy, could grow up in a dull, monotonous place that contrasted with the colorful spectacle of Oz. The filmmakers portrayed this in the film adaptation by filming the scenes in Kansas in monochrome and the scenes in Oz with color technology that was new when the film was made. If the book or movie had been set in Oklahoma, it would have been an equally fitting setting. Oklahoma’s flat, dusty landscape does not exactly inspire the imagination. The desire for drugs to spark your imagination, or expand your mind, as the hippies of the 1960s used to say, only makes sense here, especially when you are working a boring job. If you have a history of opioid use and are trying to stay away from opioids, the endless sameness of Oklahoma is downright unbearable. It is no wonder that people turn to dietary supplements sold at gas stations to give them a drug-like feeling without the official legal repercussions. Some of the ingredients in these supplements are so dangerous that state laws have listed them as controlled substances, even if federal law has not. If you are facing criminal charges related to a drug that occupies an ambiguous legal status under federal law, contact a Tulsa drug charge lawyer.

Gas Station Heroin is a Schedule II Controlled Substance in Oklahoma

If you are inspecting its molecular structure in a lab, tianeptine is a tricyclic antidepressant. That was its original purpose; pharmacologists first synthesized the drug in Europe in the 1960s in the hopes that it would be a more effective version of the antidepressants that were then the standard treatment for clinical depression. Doctors began prescribing it in some countries in the 1980s, under the brand name Stablon. Tianeptine has never been approved for medical use in the United States; clinical trials between 2009 and 2012 failed to result in approval, especially since more effective antidepressants such as Prozac are now available.

In some states, tianeptine is legal for sale as a supplement or additive; tianeptine powders sold at gas stations bear brand names such as Neptune’s Fix. It has a loyal following because its effects feel like enough opioids to stave off opioid cravings and, according to some users, opioid withdrawal symptoms.  This is how it got the nickname “gas station heroin.” Tianeptine also has an increasing presence in the illegal drug supply, where it is mixed into drug powders or pressed into counterfeit prescription opioid pills.

After some discussion at the federal level over the years, federal law has not scheduled tianeptine as a controlled substance as of 2025. Meanwhile, Oklahoma has categorized tianeptine as a Schedule II controlled substance, which means that it is usually illegal to possess or sell it.

Contact Tracy Tiernan About Criminal Defense Cases

A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges for drug crimes or any other offense. Contact Tracy Tiernan in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to discuss your case.