The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2019

Made: 8th October 2019

Coming into force: 15th November 2019

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 8th day of October 2019Present,The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

Accordingly, Her Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred on Her by section 2(2) of that Act, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order as follows:

Citation and commencement

1

This Order may be cited as the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order2019 and comes into force on the 15th November 2019.

Amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

2

In Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (which specifies the drugs which are subject to control under that Act as Class B drugs), in paragraph 1(ca)[^f00002], for the words before sub-paragraph (i) substitute “any compound (not being a compound for the time being specified in sub-paragraph (c) above) structurally related to 1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-018), in that the four sub-structures, that is to say the indole ring, the pentyl substituent, the methanone linking group and the naphthyl ring, are linked together in a similar manner, whether or not any of the sub-structures have been modified, and whether or not substituted in any of the linked sub-structures with a benzyl or phenyl group and whether or not such compound is further substituted to any extent with alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halide, haloalkyl or cyano substituents and, where any of the sub-structures have been modified, the modifications of the sub-structures are limited to any of the following, that is to say—”.

Signed

Ceri King — Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order relates to the control of certain drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38) (‘the Act’). Paragraph 1(ca) of Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the Act controls a range of synthetic cannabinoids as Class B drugs. Article 2 of this Order amends that paragraph to reduce the range of synthetic cannabinoids controlled.

A full impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business, the voluntary sector and the public sector is available at https://legislation.gov.uk. Copies may be obtained from the Home Office at 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1971 c. 38.

[^f00002]: Paragraph 1(ca) was inserted into Schedule 2 to the 1971 Act by S.I. 2016/1109; there are other amendments to Schedule 2 which are not relevant to this Order.