The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It represents action in line with treaty commitments under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
Offences under the act include: Possession of a controlled drug unlawfully Possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply it Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (even where no charge is made for the drug) Allowing premises you occupy or manage to be used unlawfully for the purpose of producing or supplying controlled drugs
The act establishes the Home Secretary as the principal authority in a drug licensing system. Therefore, for example, various opiates are available legally as prescription-only medicines, and cannabis (hemp) may be grown under licence for 'industrial purposes'. The (SI 2001/3998), created under the 1971 Act, are about licensing of production, possession and supply of substances classified under the act. These created drug 'schedules', under which the supply of drugs is controlled.
The act creates three classes of controlled substances, A, B, and C, and ranges of penalties for illegal or unlicensed possession and possession with intent to supply are graded differently within each class. The lists of substances within each class can be amended by Order in Council, so the Home Secretary can list new drugs and upgrade, downgrade or delist previously controlled drugs with less of the bureaucracy and delay associated with passing an act through both Houses of Parliament.
Critics of the act such as David Nutt say that its classification is not based on how harmful or addictive the substances are, and that it is unscientific to omit substances like tobacco and alcohol.
List of controlled drugs These drugs are known in the UK as controlled drug, because this is the term by which the act itself refers to them. In more general terms, however, many of these drugs are also controlled by the Medicines Act 1968, there are many other drugs which are controlled by the Medicines Act but not by the Misuse of Drugs Act, and some other drugs (alcohol, for example) are controlled by other laws.
The act sets out four separate categories: Class A, Class B, Class C and temporary class drugs. Substances may be removed and added to different parts of the schedule by statutory instrument, provided a report of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has been commissioned and has reached a conclusion, although the Secretary of State is not bound by the council's findings.
Class A includes cocaine, heroin, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, MDMA ("ecstasy"), methamphetamine, opium, LSD, hydrocodone, DMT, mescaline extracts, and psilocybin/psilocin (magic mushrooms). Class B includes cannabis, synthetic and semisynthetic cannabinoids, ketamine, amphetamine, codeine, methcathinone, barbiturates, mephedrone, methaqualone, methylphenidate, GHB, and GBL. Any class B drug that is prepared for injection use becomes a class A substance. Class C includes benzodiazepines, xylazine, pregabalin, and most other non-barbiturate tranquillisers; tramadol, gabapentin; anabolic steroids, nitrous oxide, khat, substituted piperazines, and substituted cathinones. All other psychoactive drugs except alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco (or other approved nicotine preparations) are controlled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 and Medicines Act 1968.
In reality the potential harm has little bearing on the class, which has led to dissatisfaction with drug laws.
This list has in practice been modified a great number of times, sometimes removing substances, but more commonly adding some; for example, many benzodiazepines became Class C drugs in 1985, and many cathinones became Class B drugs in 2010.
Glossary of terminology used in this list anabolic steroids – hormones that build muscle tissue benzodiazepines – a class of sedative/anxiolytic drugs cannabinoids – drugs that bind to cannabinoid receptors arylcyclohexamines – dissociatives which act on the NMDA receptors opioids – drugs that bind to opioid receptors phenethylamines – psychedelics based on phenethylamine sedatives – drugs that lower arousal stimulants – drugs that heighten arousal tryptamines – psychedelics based on tryptamine
Class A drugs 1. The following substances: Name as specifiedin the act Brand orstreet name Drug type Yearadded Notes and comments Acetorphine opioid 1971 primarily used to sedate elephants, giraffes and rhinos Alfentanil 1984 Allylprodine 1971 Alphacetylmethadol synthetic Alphameprodine Alphamethadol Alphaprodine Anileridine Benzethidine Benzylmorphine Betacetylmethadol Betameprodine Betamethadol Betaprodine Bezitramide Burgodin Bufotenin Toad skin toxin tryptamine found in the skins of psychoactive toads, especially Bufo alvarius Carfentanil Wildnil opioid 1986 Strongest known opioid; 10,000 times more potent than morphine, 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Used as a tranquilliser for large game (elephants etc.). Clonitazene 1971 Coca leaf Erythroxylum the plant from which cocaine is derived Cocaine Coke, crack, rock, girl, Charlie, sniff, snow, packet, blow, whiff, gear, bugle, toot, bag, the Devil's dandruff, marching powder Tropane alkaloid Desomorphine Krokodil (Russian for crocodile) opioid Primarily used in Russia and Ukraine. Its full chemical name is dihydrodesoxymorphine, and is a 3,6 diester salt of morphine Dextromoramide Palfium Diampromide Diethylthiambutene Difenoxin Roskies 1975 Dihydrocodeinone O-carboxymethyloxime 1971 Dihydroetorphine opioid (see notes) 2003 Semi-synthetic opioid; derivative of etorphine Dihydromorphine Paramorphan opioid 1971 Dimenoxadol Dimepheptanol An analogue of methadone Dimethylthiambutene Dioxaphetyl butyrate Diphenoxylate Dipipanone Drotebanol 1973 Ecgonine precursor 1971 "and any derivative of ecgonine which is convertible to ecgonine or to cocaine" Ethylmethylthiambutene opioid Eticyclidine arylcyclohexylamine 1984 Etonitazene opioid 1971 Etorphine 1,000–3,000 times more potent than morphine, veterinary use only for large game Etoxeridine Etryptamine Tryptamine 1998 Fentanyl Actiq, Duragesic, Sublimaze opioid 1971 Approximately 100 times the strength of morphine Furethidine Hydrocodone Vicodin, Norco, Lortab Hydromorphinol Hydromorphone Dilaudid, Palladone, Hymorphan, drug store heroin Hydroxypethidine Isomethadone Simple positional isomer of Methadone Ketobemidone Levomethorphan Levomoramide The totally inactive isomer of dextromoramide Levophenacylmorphan Levorphanol Levo-Dromoran Lofentanil 1986 Lysergamide ergoline 1971 A precursor to LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide LSD, acid "Lysergide and other N-alkyl derivatives of lysergamide" Mescaline Mescal phenethylamine found naturally in types of cactus; cacti themselves not illegal MDMA MD, Ecstasy (abbreviated E, X, or XTC), Molly (US), or Mandy (UK) 1977 Not specifically named but covered by the ban of alkylenedioxy-substituted phenethylamines MDA Not specifically named but covered by the ban of alkylenedioxy-substituted phenethylamines Metazocine opioid 1971 Methadone Methadose, Dolophine Used in opioid replacement therapy to treat addiction Methadyl acetate used in treating opioid addiction, structurally related to methadone Methamphetamine Desoxyn, crystal meth, meth, ice, glass, tina, crank, gak, and others stimulant 2006 Moved from class B to class A in 2006 Methyldesorphine opioid 1971 Methyldihydromorphine Metopon Morphine MS, dope, hard stuff, Miss Emma, junk, Mister Blue, God's drug, dreamer Derivative of the opium poppy and powerful narcotic painkiller Morphine diacetate H, heroin, smack, dope, boy, junk, black tar, skag, hero 3,6 diester salt of morphine, morphine prodrug Morphine methobromide "morphine N-oxide and other pentavalent nitrogen morphine derivatives" Myrophine Nicomorphine 3,6 diester salt of morphine Noracymethadol Norlevorphanol Normethadone Normorphine Norpipanone Hexalgon methadol Opium Laudanum, Pantopon opioid mixture Milky secretion of the opium poppy – banned "whether raw, prepared or medicinal" Oxycodone OxyContin, Percocet opioid Widely used strong pain killer Oxymorphone Numorphan, Opana Pethidine Meperidine, Demerol, Dolantine Phenadoxone Phenampromide Phenazocine Discontinued in 2001 Phencyclidine Angel dust, PCP arylcyclohexylamine 1979 Phenomorphan opioid 1971 Phenoperidine Piminodine Piritramide Dipidolor Poppy-straw Papaver somniferum "Poppy-straw and concentrate of poppy-straw." Proheptazine opioid Properidine Psilocin Tryptamine Psychoactive ingredient found in most psychedelic mushrooms; includes the prodrug psilocybin. Psilocybin mushroom Magic mushrooms, shrooms fungi 2005 "Fungus (of any kind) that contains psilocin or an ester of psilocin." Racemethorphan opioid mixture 1971 Racemic mixture of dextromethorphan (DXM) and levomethorphan Racemoramide Racemorphan Remifentanil opioid 2003 Strong painkiller; cannot be used without plasma infusion equipment Rolicyclidine PCPy arylcyclohexylamine 1984 Very similar to phencyclidine (PCP) Sufentanil Sufenta opioid 1983 Tenocyclidine TCP arylcyclohexylamine 1984 Very similar to phencyclidine (PCP), but considerably more potent Tapentadol Nucynta opioid 2009 Dual action as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor Thebacon Acedicone 1971 Thebaine Tilidate Valtran 1983 Trimeperidine 1971 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-bromoamphetamine DOB phenethylamine 1975 a drug of the DOx family 4-Cyano-2-dimethylamino-4,4-diphenylbutane opioid (see note) 1971 Methadone intermediate 4-Cyano-1-methyl-4-phenyl-piperidine Intermediate chemical in generation of the opioid, Pethidine N,N-Diethyltryptamine DET, T-9 tryptamine N,N-Dimethyltryptamine DMT, Changa Intense psychedelic drug 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine DOM phenethylamine a drug of the DOx family. N-Hydroxy-tenamphetamine MDOH stimulant 1990 1-Methyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid Pethidinic acid precursor 1971 2-Methyl-3-morpholino-1,1-diphenylpropanecarboxylic acid opioid (see notes) Converted in the body into the opioid Moramide 4-Methyl-aminorex Ice stimulant 1990 4-Methyl-5-(4-methylphenyl)-4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-amine Serotoni, 4,4'-DMAR 2015 1-Cyclohexyl-4-(1,2-diphenylethyl)piperazine MT-45 opioid 4-Phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester Norpethidine opioid (see notes) 1971 Commonly used in the production of Pethidine, although it has little opioid activity in its own right
N.B. Sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) were added in 1977, sub-paragraphs (d) and (e) were added in 1986. Sub-paragraph (ba) was subsequently added in 2001.
(b) any compound structurally derived from tryptamine or from a ring-hydroxy tryptamine by modification.
(ba) a number of phenethylamine derivatives.
(c) compounds structurally derived from phenethylamine an N-alkylphenethylamine, a methylphenethylamine, an N-alkyl-α-methylphenethylamine, an ethylphenethylamine, or an N-alkyl-α-ethylphenethylamine by certain modifications.
(d) compounds structurally derived from fentanyl by certain modifications.
(e) compounds structurally derived from pethidine by certain modifications.
(ea) any compound with a maximum molecular mass of 500 atomic mass units and structurally derived from 2-(2-benzyl-benzimidazol-1-yl)ethanamine.
(f) any compound structurally derived from mescaline, 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-α-methylphenethylamine, 2,5-dimethoxy-α,4-dimethylphenethylamine, N-hydroxytenamphetamine (N-hydroxy-MDA), or a compound specified in sub-paragraph (ba) or (c) above, by substitution at the nitrogen atom of the amino group with a benzyl substituent, whether or not substituted in the phenyl ring of the benzyl group to any extent.
2. Any stereoisomeric of a class A substance, excluding dextromethorphan or dextrorphan.
3. Any ester or ether of a class A substance (that is not listed as a class B substance).
4. Any salt of a class A substance.