The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations insert 1–benzylpiperazine (BZP), all but two of a group of substituted piperazines and the synthetic cannabinoid agonists into Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 (“the 2002 Regulations”), save for Nabilone which is inserted into Schedule 2 to the 2002 Regulations along with Oripavine. The two other substituted piperazines are inserted into Part 1 of Schedule 4 to the 2002 Regulations and 15 anabolic steroids and 2 non-steroidal agents are inserted into Part 2 of that Schedule. The schedule in which a controlled drug is placed primarily affects the extent to which the drug can be lawfully imported, exported, produced, supplied or possessed and dictates the record keeping, labelling and destruction requirements in relation to those drugs.

Gamma–butyrolactone (GBL) and 1, 4–butanediol (1, 4–BD) are not inserted into any schedule. However, regulation 4 makes it lawful to import, export, produce, supply, offer to supply or possess these substances except where a person does so, knowing or believing that it will be used for the purpose of human ingestion.