Schedule IV is on the weaker end of the five controlled substances classifications and is reserved for drugs with some low potential for abuse and dependence.
If the panel's advice is adopted by FDA, it would put hydrocodone on par with prescription painkillers like oxycodone, morphine, and methadone -- drugs with high abuse potential that can lead to severe physical dependence.
While it may become the jumping off point for further exploration of our solar system and beyond, there are more earthly prizes in sight, with some scientists believing that it has the potential to solve the world's dependence on fossil fuels.
Further its over-dependence on a limited group of customers for coal royalty and natural gas midstream revenue remain potential headwinds to future earnings.