Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c.38), an Act

Act of Parliament

An act of Parliament is a statute wikt:enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. It is broadly equivalent to an act of Congress in the United States....
of the Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislature in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories....
of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
(UK), has been amended since 1971 and remains the centre piece of UK drug

Drug

A drug, broadly speaking, is any chemical substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function....
control policies and legislation. It represents UK action in line with treaty

Treaty

A Treaty is an agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely states and international organizations. A Treaty may also be known as: agreement, protocol, covenant, convention, exchange of letters, etc....
commitments under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is an international treaty to prohibit production and supply of specific drugs and of drugs with similar effects except under licence for specific purposes, such as medicine treatment and research....
, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances

Convention on Psychotropic Substances

The Convention on Psychotropic Substances is a United Nations treaty designed to control psychoactive drugs such as amphetamines, barbiturates, and psychedelics....
, and the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

The 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is one of three major drug control treaties currently in force....
.

The act aims to control the possession and supply of numerous drugs and drug-like substances, known as controlled drugs, and to enable international co-operation between law enforcement agencies working against illegal drug trafficking

Illegal drug trade

The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market consisting of the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of Law controlled drugs....
.

It is often presented as little more than a list of prohibited

Prohibitionism

Prohibitionism is a legal philosophy and political theory often used in lobbying which holds that citizens will abstain from actions if the actions are typed as unlawful and the prohibitions are enforced by law enforcement....
drugs and of penalties linked to their possession and supply.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Misuse of Drugs Act 1971'

Start a new discussion about 'Misuse of Drugs Act 1971'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c.38), an Act

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislature in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories....
of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Drug

Treaty

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

Convention on Psychotropic Substances

United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

Illegal drug trade

Prohibitionism

Home Secretary

The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is one of the Great Offices of State....
as a key player in a drug licensing system. Therefore, for example, various opiate

Opiate

In medicine, the term opiate describes any of the narcotic alkaloids found in opium, as well as any derivatives of such alkaloids....
s are available legally as prescription-only medicines, and cannabis

Cannabis

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis Janisch....
(hemp

Hemp

File:Industrialhemp.jpgHemp is the common name for plants of the entire genus Cannabis, although the term is often used to refer only to Cannabis strains cultivated for industrial use....
) may be grown under licence for 'industrial purposes'. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, created under the 1971 Act, are about licensing of production, possession and supply of substances classified under the act.

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

Statutory Instrument

A Statutory Instrument is the principal form in which delegated legislation or secondary legislation is made in Great Britain.Statutory Instruments are governed by the Statutory Instruments Act 1946....
, 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.

The act does not cover all drugs or drug-like substances. Although, for example, cannabis is listed under the Act (as a class B drug since 26 January 2009), tobacco

Tobacco

Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines....
, another herb

Herb

A herb is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties, flavor, scent, or the like....
or plant

Plant

Plants are Life organisms belonging to the Kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae....
source of drug material, is not listed.

International cooperation

The act makes it a crime to assist in, incite, or induce, the commission of an offence, outside the UK, against another nation's corresponding law on drugs. A corresponding law is defined as another country's law "providing for the control and regulation in that country of the production, supply, use, export and import of drugs and other substances in accordance with the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs" or another drug control treaty to which the UK and the other country are parties. An example might be lending money to a United States drug dealer for the purpose of violating that country's Controlled Substances Act

Controlled Substances Act

The Controlled Substances Act was enacted into law by the Congress of the United States as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970....
.

History

The Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1964 controlled amphetamines in the United Kingdom in advance of international agreements and was later used to control LSD

LSD

Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD, LSD-25, or acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family. Its unusual psychological effects, which include visuals of colored patterns behind the eyes in the mind, a sense of time distorting, and crawling geometric patterns, have made it one of the most widely known psyched...
.

Before 1971, the UK had a relatively liberal drugs policy and it was not until United States influence had been brought to bear, particularly in United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
circles, that drugs use was generally criminalised. Before the passage of the Act, it was possible, for example, for heroin

Heroin

Heroin is a opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-acetate ester of morphine . The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride, however heroin Freebase may also appear as a white powder....
addicts to be prescribed enough of the drug to manage their addiction without being forced to buy from the black market.

Penalties

The penalties for drug offences depend on the class of drug involved. It should be noted that these penalties are enforced against those who do not have a valid prescription

Medical prescription

A prescription is a health-care program implemented by a physician or other medical practitioner in the form of instructions that govern the plan of care for an individual patient....
or license to possess the drug in question. Thus it is not illegal for someone to possess oxycodone

Oxycodone

Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic medication synthesized from opium-derived thebaine. It was developed in 1916 in Germany, as one of several new semi-synthetic opioids with several benefits over the older traditional opiates and opioids; morphine, diacetylmorphine and codeine....
, a class A drug, so long as it was administered to them legally (by prescription).

Class A drugs attract the highest penalty, and imprisonment is both "proper and expedient". The maximum penalties possible are as follows:

Lists of controlled drugs

The act sets out three separate classes, A, B, and C, of controlled drug in Schedule 2, parts I-III. Substances may be removed and added to different parts of the schedule by statutory instrument

Statutory Instrument

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is a statutory and non-executive non-departmental British public body, which was established under the UK's Misuse of Drugs Act 1971....
(ACMD) has been commissioned and has reached a conclusion, although the Secretary of State

Secretary of State

Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a member of government. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the government....
is not bound by ACMD findings.

The lists below may not be complete and may not be up to date.

Class A	Class B	Class C
2C-B 2C-B 2C-B or 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine is a Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants of the 2C's, an Empathogen-entactogen. It was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin in 1974.... (4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxybenzeneethanamine) 2C-I 2C-I 2C-I is a Psychedelics, Dissociatives and Deliriants and phenethylamine of the 2C . It was developed and popularized by Alexander Shulgin. It was described in Shulgin?s book PiHKAL.... Acetorphine Acetorphine Acetorphine is a potent analgesic drug , several thousand times stronger than morphine by weight. It is a Derivative of the more well-known opioid etorphine, which is used as a very potent veterinary painkiller and anesthetic medication, primarily for the sedation of large animals such as elephants, giraffes and rhinos.... Allylprodine Allylprodine Allylprodine is an opioid analgesic that is an analog of prodine. It was developed in the 1970s during research into the related drug pethidine.... Alphacetylmethadol Alphameprodine Alphamethaclol Alphaprodine Anileridine Anileridine Anileridine is a synthetic opioid and strong analgesic medication. Anileridine is no longer manufactured in the US or Canada.... Benzethidine Benzethidine Benzethidine is a 4-phenylpiperidine derivative that is related to the opioid analgesic drug pethidine .Benzethidine is not currently used in medicine and is a Class A drug/Schedule I drug which is controlled under UN drug conventions.... Benzylmorphine Benzylmorphine Benzylmorphine is a semi-synthetic opiate narcotic introduced to the international market in 1897 and that of the United States very shortly thereafter.... (3-benzylmorphine) Betacetylmethadol Betameprodine Betamethadol Betaprodine Bezitramide Bezitramide Bezitramide is a narcotic analgesic. Bezitramide itself is a prodrug which is readily Hydrolysis in the gastrointestinal tract to its main metabolite, despropionyl-bezitramide.... Bufotenine Cathinone Cathinone Cathinone is a monoamine alkaloid found in the shrub Catha edulis and is chemically similar to ephedrine, cathine and other amphetamines. Amphetamine induces the release of dopamine from striatal preparations that are prelabelled either with dopamine or its precursors, and it has been shown that cathinone also does this.... Clonitazene Clonitazene Clonitazene is an opioid analgesic. It is related to etonitazene.References ... Coca Coca Coca is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to north-western South America. The plant plays a significant role in traditional Andean culture.... leaf Cocaine Cocaine Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine.... Desomorphine Desomorphine Desomorphine is an opiate analogue invented in 1933 in the United States, that is a derivative of morphine, where the 6-hydroxy group has been removed and the 7,8 double bond has been saturated.... Dextromoramide Dextromoramide Dextromoramide is a powerful opioid analgesic approximately three times more potent than morphine but shorter acting. It is subject to drug prohibition regimes, both internationally through UN treaties, and by the criminal law of individual states.... Diacetylmorphine (heroin Heroin Heroin is a opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-acetate ester of morphine . The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride, however heroin Freebase may also appear as a white powder.... INN Inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging and, usually, food and drink. They are typically located in the country or along a highway.... ) Diamorphine (heroin Heroin Heroin is a opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-acetate ester of morphine . The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride, however heroin Freebase may also appear as a white powder.... BAN Ban Ban may refer to:* Ban , a decree that prohibits something, sometimes a form of censorship* The imperial ban, a form of outlawry in the medieval Holy Roman Empire... ) Diampromide Diampromide Diampromide is an opioid analgesic from the ampromide family of drugs, related to other drugs such as propiram. It was invented in the 1960s, and can be described as a ring-opened analogue of fentanyl.... Diethylthiambutene Diethylthiambutene Diethylthiambutene is an opioid analgesic drug developed in the 1950s which was mainly used as an anesthetic in veterinary medicine and continues, along with the other two thiambutenes Dimethylthiambutene and Ethylmethylthiambutene to be used for this purpose, particularly in Japan.... Dihydrocodeinone O-carboxymethyloxime Dihydromorphine Dihydromorphine Dihydromorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid invented in Germany in the first years of the twentieth century. Structurally, it is very similar to morphine?the only difference being the reduction of the double bond between positions 7 and 8 in morphine to a single bond.... Dimenoxadole Dimepheptanol Dimepheptanol Dimepheptanol is an opioid analgesic that is an analog of methadone.Dimepheptanol is a mixture of two isomers, a-methadol and ?-methadol. These are also available separately, and this drug has three separate entries in many national and international lists of illegal drugs, which refer to the racemic mixture dimepheptanol, and the two opt... Dimethylthiambutene Dimethylthiambutene Dimethylthiambutene is an opioid analgesic drug, most often used in veterinary medicine in Japan and to a lesser extent in other countries in the region and around the world.... Dimethyltryptamine Dimethyltryptamine Dimethyltryptamine , also known as N,N-dimethyltryptamine, is a naturally-occurring tryptamine and potent psychedelic drug, found not only in many plants, but also in trace amounts in the human body where its natural function is undetermined.... (DMT DMT DMT is a three-letter abbreviation which may stand for* Dimethyltryptamine, a hallucinogenic tryptamine* Dance Movement Therapy* Dimethyl terephthalate... ) Dioxaphetyl butyrate Dioxaphetyl Butyrate Dioxaphetyl Butyrate is an opioid analgesic which is a diphenylacetic acid derivative, related to other drugs such as dextropropoxyphene.It produces similar effects to other opioids, including analgesia, sedation, dizziness and nausea.... Diphenoxylate Diphenoxylate Diphenoxylate is an opioid agonist used for the treatment of diarrhoea that acts by slowing intestinal contractions and peristalsis allowing the body to consolidate intestinal contents and prolong transit time, thus allowing the intestines to draw moisture out of them at a normal or higher rate and therefore stop the formation of loose and l... Dipipanone Dipipanone Dipipanone is an opioid painkiller. Its hydrochloride form, in combination with cyclizine hydrochloride, it is marketed as Diconal, indicated for relief of moderate to severe pain.... Ecgonine Ecgonine Ecgonine is an organic chemical and tropane alkaloid found naturally in coca leaves. It is has a close structural relation to cocaine: it is both a metabolite and a wiktionary:Precursor, and as such, it is a controlled substance, as are all known substances which can be used as precursors to ecgonine itself.... , and any derivative of ecgonine which is convertible to ecgonine or to cocaine Ethylmethylthiambutene Ethylmethylthiambutene Ethylmethylthiambutene is an opioid analgesic drug from the thiambutene family, around 1.3x the potency of morphine. It is under international control under Schedule I of the UN Single Convention On Narcotic Drugs 1961, presumably due to high abuse potential.... Etonitazene Etonitazene Etonitazene is a highly potent analgesic drug, approximately 1000?1500x the potency of morphine. It is one of several benzimidazole opioids, and is structurally related to clonitazene .... Etorphine Etorphine Etorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid possessing an analgesic potency approximately 1000-3000 times that of morphine depending on the situation and was first prepared in 1960 from oripavine, which does not generally occur in opium poppy extract but rather in "poppy straw" and in related plants, oriental poppy and Papaver bracteatum.... Etoxeridine Etoxeridine Etoxeridine is a 4-phenylpiperidine derivative that is related to the opioid analgesic drug pethidine .Etoxeridine was developed in the 1950s and investigated for use in surgical anasthesia, however it was never commercialised and is not currently used in medicine.... Fentanyl Fentanyl Fentanyl is an odorless, rapid-acting opioid , which depresses central nervous system and respiratory function. It is one of the the most powerful opioids known, with a potency approximately 80 times that of morphine.... Furethidine Furethidine Furethidine is a 4-phenylpiperidine derivative that is related to the opioid analgesic drug pethidine .Furethidine is not currently used in medicine and is a Class A drug/Schedule I drug which is controlled under UN drug conventions.... Hydrocodone Hydrocodone Hydrocodone or dihydrocodeinone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from two of the naturally-occurring opiates codeine and thebaine.... Hydromorphinol Hydromorphinol Hydromorphinol is an opiate analogue that is an derivative of morphine, where the 14-position has been hydroxylated and the 7,8- double bond saturated.... Hydromorphone Hydromorphone Hydromorphone, a more common synonym for dihydromorphinone and dimorphone, commonly a hydrochloride is a potent centrally-acting analgesic medication of the opioid class; it is a derivative of morphine, specifically a hydrogenated ketone thereof?therefore a semi-synthetic drug and both an opiate and a true narcotic.... Hydroxypethidine Hydroxypethidine Hydroxypethidine is an opioid analgesic that is an analog of pethidine . Hydroxypethidine is significantly less potent than meperidine as an analgesic, although it also has NMDA antagonist properties like its close relative ketobemidone.... Isomethadone Ketobemidone Ketobemidone Ketobemidone is a powerful opioid analgesic. Its effectiveness against pain is in the same range as morphine, and it also has some NMDA-antagonist properties.... Levomethorphan Levomethorphan Levomethorphan is the l-stereoisomer of methorphan. The effects of the two isomers are quite different. Dextromethorphan is an antitussive on low doses and a dissociative on much higher doses, whereas levomethorphan is an opioid analgesic.... Levomoramide Levomoramide Levomoramide is the inactive isomer of the opioid analgesic dextromoramide, invented by the chemist Paul Janssen in 1956. Unlike dextromoramide, which is a potent analgesic with high abuse potential, levomoramide is virtually without activity.... Levophenacylmorphan Levophenacylmorphan Levophenacylmorphan is a morphinan derivative that acts as an opioid agonist. It has potent analgesic effects and is around 10x more potent than morphine.... Levorphanol Levorphanol Levorphanol is an opioid medication used to treat severe pain. It is the laevorotary stereoisomer of the synthetic morphinan and a pure opioid agonist, first described in Germany in 1946 as an orally active morphine-like analgesic.... Lysergamide Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD, LSD-25, or acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family. Its unusual psychological effects, which include visuals of colored patterns behind the eyes in the mind, a sense of time distorting, and crawling geometric patterns, have made it one of the most widely known psyched... Lysergide and other N-alkyl derivatives of lysergamide Mescaline Mescaline Mescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine is a naturally-occurring psychedelic alkaloid of the phenethylamine class. It is mainly used as a recreational drug, an entheogen, and a tool to supplement various practices for transcendence , including in meditation, psychonautics, art projects, and psychedelic psychotherapy.... Metazocine Metazocine Metazocine is an opioid analgesic related to pentazocine. While metazocine has significant analgesic effects, mediated through a mixed agonist-antagonist action at the mu opioid receptor, its clinical use is limited by dysphoric and hallucinogenic effects which are most likely caused by activity at kappa opioid receptors and sigma receptors.... Methadone Methadone Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic, antitussive and a maintenance drug addiction#Anti-addictive drugs for use in patients on opioids.... Methadyl acetate Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meth) Methyldesorphine Methyldesorphine Methyldesorphine is a drug which is prohibited in some jurisdictions because it is viewed as a drug of abuse.References... Methyldihydromorphine Methyldihydromorphine Methyldihydromorphine is an opioid derivative drug, prohibited under both domestic law and UN conventions because of its possible potential for abuse.... (6-methyldihydromorphine) Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Methylenedioxymethamphetamine MDMA , most commonly known today by the street name ecstasy , is a semisynthetic member of the amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs, a subclass of the phenethylamines..... (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine - MDMA; commonly known as "Ecstasy") Morpheridine Morpheridine Morpheridine is a 4-phenylpiperidine derivative that is related to the opioid analgesic drug pethidine . It is a strong analgesic with around 4 times the potency of pethidine, and unlike pethidine, does not cause convulsions, although it produces the standard opioid side effects such as sedation and respiratory depression.... Morphine Morphine Morphine is a highly potent opiate analgesic Medication, is the principal active agent in opium, and is considered to be the prototypical opioid.... Morphine methobromide, morphine N-oxide and other pentavalent nitrogen Nitrogen Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674?. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere.... morphine derivatives Myrophine Myrophine Myrophine is an opiate analogue that is a derivative of morphine.Myrophine is substituted with a 3-benzyl group and a 6-Myristic acid chain. It is metabolised to form benzylmorphine and then further to morphine, and so is a long-acting prodrug for morphine, but with a slow onset of effects.... Nicodicodeine Nicodicodeine Nicodicodeine is an opiate derivative developed as a cough suppressant and analgesic. It is not commonly used, but has activity similar to other opiates.... (6-nicotinoyldi-hydrocodeine) Nicomorphine Nicomorphine Nicomorphine is the 3,6-dinicotinate ester of morphine. It is a strong opioid agonist analgesic two to three times as potent as morphine with a side effect profile similar to that of dihydromorphine, morphine, and diamorphine.... (3,6-dinicotinoyl-morphine) Noracyinethadol Norlevorphanol Normethadone Normethadone Normethadone is a cough suppressant. It is a demethylation derivative of methadone.... Normorphine Normorphine Normorphine is an opiate analogue that is the N-demethylated derivative of morphine.Normorphine has relatively little opioid activity in its own right, but is a useful intermediate which can be used to produce both opioid antagonists such as nalorphine, and also potent opioid agonists such as N-phenethylnormorphine.... Norpipanone Opium Opium Opium is a narcotic formed from the latex released by lacerating the immature seed pods of Opium poppy . It contains up to 12% morphine, an opiate alkaloid, which is most frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade.... , whether raw, prepared or medicinal Oxycodone Oxycodone Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic medication synthesized from opium-derived thebaine. It was developed in 1916 in Germany, as one of several new semi-synthetic opioids with several benefits over the older traditional opiates and opioids; morphine, diacetylmorphine and codeine.... Oxymorphone Oxymorphone Oxymorphone or 14-Hydroxydihydromorphinone is a powerful semi-synthetic opioid analgesic first developed in Germany circa or about 1914, patented in the USA by Endo Pharmaceuticals in 1955 and introduced to the United States market in January 1959 and other countries around the same time.... Pethidine Pethidine Pethidine or meperidine is a fast-acting opioid analgesic drug. In the United States and Canada, it is more commonly known as meperidine or by its brand name Demerol.... Phenadoxone Phenadoxone Phenadoxone is an opioid analgesic of the open chain class invented in Germany in 1947. It is one of a handful of useful synthetic analgesics which were used in the United States for various lengths of time in the 20 or so years after the end of the Second World War but which were withdrawn from the market for various or no known reason an... Phenampromide Phenampromide Phenampromide is an opioid analgesic from the ampromide family of drugs, related to other drugs such as propiram and diampromide. It was invented in the 1960s.... Phenazocine Phenazocine Phenazocine is an opioid analgesic drug, which is related to pentazocine and has a similar profile of effects.Effects of phenazocine include analgesia and euphoria, also may include dysphoria and hallucinations at high doses, most likely due to action at Kappa opioid receptor and Sigma receptor.... Phenomorphan Phenomorphan Phenomorphan is an opioid analgesic. It is not currently used in medicine, but has similar side effects to other opiates, which include itching, nausea and respiratory depression.... Phenoperidine Phenoperidine Phenoperidine, marketed as its hydrochloride as Operidine or Lealgin, is an opioid used as a general anesthetic. It is a derivative of isonipecotic acid, like pethidine, and is metabolized in part to norpethidine.... Piminodine Piminodine Piminodine is an opioid analgesic that is an analog of pethidine . It was used in medicine briefly during the 1960s and 70s, but has largely fallen out of clinical use.... Piritramide Piritramide Piritramide is a synthetic opioid analgesic with a potency 0.65 to 0.75 times that of morphine. A common starting dose is 15 mg IV, equivalent to 10 mg of morphine hydrochloride.... Poppy-straw and concentrate of poppy-straw Proheptazine Proheptazine Proheptazine is an opioid analgesic from the phenazepine family. It was invented in the 1960s.Proheptazine produces similar effects to other opioids, including analgesia, sedation, dizziness and nausea.... Properidine Properidine Properidine is an opiate analgesic and the isopropyl analog of Meperidine.... (1-methyl-4-phenyl-piperidine-4-carboxylic acid isopropyl ester) Psilocin Psilocin Psilocin sometimes also spelled psilocine, psilocyn, or psilotsin, is a psychedelic drug mushroom alkaloid. It is found in most psychedelic mushrooms together with its phosphorylated counterpart psilocybin.... Psilocybe Psilocybe *Psilocybe* is a genus of small mushrooms growing worldwide. This genus is best known for its species with Psychedelic drug properties, widely known as "psychedelic mushroom", though the majority of species do not contain hallucinogenic compounds.... mushrooms, and any other 'fungi containing psilocin' (after the Drugs Act 2005) Racemethorphan Racemoramide Racemorphan Thebacon Thebaine Thebaine Thebaine is an opiate alkaloid. A minor constituent of opium, thebaine is chemically similar to both morphine and codeine, but has stimulatory rather than depressant effects, causing strychnine-like convulsions at higher doses.... Trimeperidine Trimeperidine Trimeperidine is an opioid analgesic that is an analog of prodine. It was developed in or around 1954 in the USSR during research into the related drug pethidine.... 4-Cyano-2-dimethylamino-4, 4-diphenylbutane 4-Cyano-1-methyl-4-phenyl-piperidine Piperidine Piperidine is an organic compound with the molecular formula 5NH. This heterocyclic compound amine consists of a six-membered ring containing five methylene units and one nitrogen atom.... N,N-Diethyltryptamine Diethyltryptamine DET, also known under its chemical name N,N-diethyltryptamine and as T-9 , is a psychedelic drug closely related to dimethyltryptamine and 4-HO-DET.... N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Dimethyltryptamine Dimethyltryptamine , also known as N,N-dimethyltryptamine, is a naturally-occurring tryptamine and potent psychedelic drug, found not only in many plants, but also in trace amounts in the human body where its natural function is undetermined.... 2,5-Dimethoxy-a,4-dimethyl-phenethylaniine 2C-D 2C-D is a Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants of the 2C . It was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin, sometimes used as an entheogen.... 1-Methyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid 2-Methyl-3-morpholino-1 1-diphenylpropanecarboxylic acid 4-Phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester Any preparation which includes a class B drug and is designed for administration by injection	Note that preparing a class B drug for injection makes it a class A drug Acetyldihydrocodeine Acetyldihydrocodeine Acetyldihydrocodeine is an opiate derivative developed in Germany around 1900 as a cough suppressant and analgesic. It is not commonly used, but has activity similar to other opiates.... Amphetamine Amphetamine Amphetamine and related drugs such as methamphetamine are a group of drugs that act by increasing levels of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain.... Codeine Codeine Codeine or methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, Cough medicine and Antidiarrhoeal properties. It is by far the most widely used opiate in the world and probably the most commonly used drug overall according to numerous reports over the years by organizations such as the World Health Organization and its League of Nations... (Intramuscular injection Intramuscular injection Intramuscular injection is the medical injection of a substance directly into a muscle. In medicine, it is one of several alternative methods for the administration of medications .... only) Cannabinol Cannabinol Cannabinol, also known as CBN, is a non-psychoactive substance cannabinoids found in the hemp plant Cannabis. It is an oxidation product of tetrahydrocannabinol .... or a cannabinol derivative (downgraded from class A to class C on 29 January 2004 and upgraded to class B on 26 January 2009) Cannabis Cannabis *Cannabis* is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis Janisch.... (downgraded from class B to class C Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom refers to the transfer of cannabis to a different Class of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. As Home Secretary in Tony Blair's Labour Party government, David Blunkett announced in 2001 that cannabis would be transferred from Class B of the Act to Class C, removing the threat of arrest for possessi... on 29 January 2004 and upgraded back to class B Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom refers to the transfer of cannabis to a different Class of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. As Home Secretary in Tony Blair's Labour Party government, David Blunkett announced in 2001 that cannabis would be transferred from Class B of the Act to Class C, removing the threat of arrest for possessi... on 26 January 2009) Dexamphetamine Dihydrocodeine Dihydrocodeine Dihydrocodeine, also called DHC, Drocode, Paracodeine and Parzone and by the brand names of Synalgos DC, Panlor DC, Panlor SS, Contugesic, SS Bron, Drocode, Paracodin, Codidol, Didor Continus, Dicogesic, Codhydrine, Dekacodin, DH-Codeine, ... Ethylmorphine Ethylmorphine Ethylmorphine is a drug in the class of both opiates and opioids . Its effects in humans mainly stem from its metabolic conversion to morphine.... (3-ethylmorphine) Methaqualone Methaqualone Methaqualone is a sedative medication that is similar in effect to barbiturates, a general central nervous system depressant. It was used in the 1960s and 1970s as an hypnotic, for the treatment of insomnia, and as a sedative and muscle relaxant.... Methylphenidate Methylphenidate Methylphenidate is the most commonly medical prescription psychostimulant and is indicated in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, although off-label uses include treating lethargy, depression, neural insult and obesity.... Nicocodeine Nicocodeine Nicocodeine is an opiate derivative, closely related to dihydrocodeine and the codeine analogue of nicomorphine developed as a cough suppressant and analgesic.... Norcodeine Norcodeine Norcodeine is an opiate analogue that is the N-demethylated derivative of codeine.Norcodeine has relatively little opioid activity in its own right, but is formed as a metabolite of codeine following ingestion.... Phenmetrazine Phenmetrazine Phenmetrazine is a sympathomimetic drug which acts as a stimulant in the central nervous system. It was previously sold as an anorectic under the trade name Preludin, but has since been removed from the market.... Pholcodine Pholcodine Pholcodine is a drug which is an opioid cough suppressant . It helps suppress unproductive coughs and also acts as an antifungal agent. It also has a mild sedative effect, but has little or no analgesic effects....	Although some class C drugs as defined by the act may be exempt from the possession offence without an appropriate prescription specifically benzodiazepines are controlled under the Medicines Act 1968 Medicines Act 1968 The Medicines Act 1968 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. It governs the manufacture and supply of medicine. The act defines three categories of medicine: prescription only drugs, which are available only from a pharmacist if prescribed by a doctor or a dentist; pharmacy medicines, available only from a pharmacist but without a... and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as Amended The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 place most benzodiazepines in Schedule 4 Part 1: thus possession of is an offence without an appropriate prescription Temazepam and flunitrazepam are placed in Schedule 3; temazepam upgrades to class A when prepared for injection Anabolic steroids Benzphetamine Benzphetamine Benzphetamine is an anti-obesity drug marketed under this brand in the United States by Pharmacia. Benzphetamine is used as a short term adjunct in management of exogenous obesity.... Benzodiazepine Benzodiazepine The benzodiazepines are a class of psychoactive drugs with varying hypnotic, sedative, anxiolytic , anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and anterograde amnesia properties, which are mediated by slowing down the central nervous system.... s (like e. g. Diazepam Diazepam Diazepam , first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche, is a benzodiazepine derivative drug. It possesses anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, hypnotic, sedative, skeletal muscle relaxant and amnestic properties.... (Valium), Flunitrazepam Flunitrazepam Flunitrazepam is marketed as a hypnotic drug and has sedative, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, amnestic, hypnotic and skeletal muscle relaxant properties.... , and Temazepam Temazepam Temazepam is an intermediate-acting 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine. It is generally prescribed for the short-term treatment of severe or debilitating sleeplessness in patients who have difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep.... ) Cathine Cathine Cathine is a monoamine alkaloid found in the shrub Catha edulis .... Clenbuterol Clenbuterol Clenbuterol is a drug prescribed to sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders like asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier.... Chlorphentermine Chlorphentermine Chlorphentermine is a stimulant drug which was used as an anorectic. Developed in 1962, it is the 4-chloro derivative of the better known appetite suppressant phentermine, which is still in current use.... Fencamfamin Gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB GHB GHB may refer to:Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, a neuroprotective therapeutic drug that is illegal in a number of countries. Sometimes referred to as "the date rape drug"... ) (added in July 2003) Human chorionic gonadotropin Human chorionic gonadotropin Human chorionic gonadotropin* is a glycoprotein hormone produced in pregnancy that is made by the the developing embryo soon after Conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast .... Ketamine Ketamine Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis in 1962. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar.... (added in January 2006) Mephentermine Mephentermine Mephentermine is a cardiac stimulant. It was formerly used in Wyamine nasal decongestant inhalers and before that as a stimulant in psychiatry.... Pemoline Pemoline Pemoline is a medication used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.Under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, it is a Schedule IV drug.... Phendimetrazine Phendimetrazine Phendimetrazine is a weight loss medication.... Phentermine Phentermine Phentermine, a contraction for "phenyl-Butyl#Nomenclatureamine", is an appetite suppressant of the amphetamine and phenethylamine class.It is approved as an appetite suppressant to help reduce weight in obese patients when used short-term and combined with exercise, diet, and behavioral modification.... Pipradrol Pipradrol Pipradrol is a mild central nervous system stimulant that is no longer widely used in most countries due to concerns about its abuse potential, although this is less of a problem than with other stimulants that still are in current use such as methylphenidate.... Prolintane Prolintane Prolintane is a psychostimulant/nootropic.Prolintane is a stimulant closely related in structure to other drugs such as pyrovalerone and has a similar mechanism of action, by inhibiting the reuptake of dopamine and other monoamine neurotransmitters.... Somatropin

Criticism and controversy

Notable criticism of the act includes:

Drug classification: making a hash of it?, Fifth Report of Session 2005–06, House of Commons Science and Technology Committee
Science and Technology Committee

The Science and Technology Committee was a Select Committee of the British House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was responsible for overseeing the operations of the Office of Science and Technology and of the Research Councils....
, which said that the present system of drug classification is based on historical assumptions, not scientific assessment
Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse, David Nutt, Leslie A. King, William Saulsbury, Colin Blakemore, The Lancet
The Lancet

The Lancet is a peer-reviewed general medical journal, published weekly by Elsevier, part of Reed Elsevier.One of the world's best-known and most respected general medical journals, with editorial offices in London and New York, The Lancet was founded in 1823 by Thomas Wakley, who named it after the surgical instrument called a lanc...
, 24 March 2007, said the act is "not fit for purpose" and "the exclusion of alcohol and tobacco from the Misuse of Drugs Act is, from a scientific perspective, arbitrary"

The Transform Drug Policy Foundation

Transform Drug Policy Foundation

The Transform Drug Policy Foundation is a registered non-profit charity based in the United Kingdom working in the field of drug policy and law reform....
offers more radical criticism.

Classification of cannabis

Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom

Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom refers to the transfer of cannabis to a different Class of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. As Home Secretary in Tony Blair's Labour Party government, David Blunkett announced in 2001 that cannabis would be transferred from Class B of the Act to Class C, removing the threat of arrest for possessi...
has become especially controversial. In 2004, cannabis

Cannabis

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis Janisch....
was reclassified from class B to class C , in accordance with advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is a statutory and non-executive non-departmental British public body, which was established under the UK's Misuse of Drugs Act 1971....
(ACMD). Earlier this year, 2009, it was returned to class B , against ACMD advice.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

International cooperation

History

Penalties

Lists of controlled drugs

Criticism and controversy

Footnotes

See also