Some of the medicinal uses of GHB include narcolepsy, depression, alcohol withdrawal, epilepsy, and anesthesia.
Historically, GHB was sold in health food stores until it was removed from the retail market by the FDA in 1991.
However, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) made possible the legal sale of GHB precursors, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol. Once ingested, both GBL and 1,4 butanediol are converted enzymatically to GHB which can then exert its pharmacologic effects.