Arguments in Philadelphia federal court Thursday over whether a proposed supervised injection site would violate the Controlled Substances Act focused on the purpose of opening such sites and what consequences—both intended and unintended—might arise.

In nearly two hours of arguments before U.S. District Judge Gerald A. McHugh of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney William McSwain said the introduction of safe injection sites invited unsafe and illegal drug use, while a DLA Piper lawyer representing the nonprofit company seeking to manage the site said there was no intent to promote drug abuse, and that it was aimed at creating access to medical care.