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The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2026

Draft. This instrument was laid in draft and may differ from the one made. Look for the made version under its title.

Draft 2026, ISBN 9780348288254

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

This draft Statutory Instrument supersedes the draft of the same title which was laid before Parliament and published on 14th of September 2026 (ISBN 978-0-34-828712-7). It is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of that draft Statutory Instrument.

Draft Order in Council laid before Parliament under section 2(5) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, for approval by resolution of each House of Parliament.

DANGEROUS DRUGS

Made ***

Coming into force

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the XX day of XX 2026

Present,

The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council

In accordance with section 2(5) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971f1, a draft of this Order has been laid before Parliament on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

Accordingly, His Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred on Him by section 2(2) and (3) of that Act, is pleased, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

1971 c. 38.

Contents

  1. 1Citation, commencement and extent
  2. 2Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
  3. Signature
  4. Explanatory note

1Citation, commencement and extent

(1)

This Order may be cited as the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2026 and comes into force on the twenty-eighth day after the day on which it is made.

(2)

This Order extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

2Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

(1)

Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (controlled drugs) is amended as follows.

(2)

In Part 1 (which specifies the drugs which are subject to control as Class A drugs)f1—

(a)

in paragraph 1(a)—

(i)

after “Carfentanil.” insert—

  • “Chorphine.”;

(ii)

after “Cocaine.” insert—

  • “Cychlorphine (N-propionitrile chlorphine).”;

(iii)

after “Etodesnitazene (etazene).” insert—

  • “Etodezitramide.”;

(iv)

after “Rolicyclidine.” insert—

  • “Spirobrorphine.

  • Spirochlorphine (R-6890).”;

(v)

after “N-Desethyl protonitazene.” insert—

  • “5,6-Dichlorobrorphine (SR-14968).

  • 5,6-Dichloro desmethylchlorphine (SR-17018).”;

(b)

in paragraph 1(ea)f2—

(i)

in paragraph (iii) after “acetyl,” insert “amino,”;

(ii)

in paragraph (iv) after “methyl group” insert “or by a carbamoyl group”;

(iii)

in paragraph (v) after “benzylic carbon” insert “or of a carbon atom of an ethyl link between the benzimidazole system and the phenyl ring”;

(iv)

after paragraph (vii) insert—

“(viii)

by replacement of the methyl group of the benzyl system by an ethyl group to form a phenethyl system.”;

(c)

after paragraph 1(f) insert—

“(g)

any compound (not being a compound for the time being specified in sub-paragraph (a) above) structurally derived from AP-237 (bucinnazine) by modification in any of the following ways—

(i)

by substitution to any extent by methyl in the piperazine or phenyl rings;

(ii)

by replacement of the butyryl group by another acyl group containing three, four or five carbon atoms;

(iii)

by substitution in the phenyl ring by a nitro group;

(iv)

by addition of an ethylenic bridge across the piperazine ring.

(h)

any material (not being a compound for the time being specified in sub-paragraph (a) above) structurally derived from 1-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)-1,3-dihydro-benzimidazol-2-one by modification in any of the following ways—

(i)

by substitution to any extent on the phenyl ring of the benzimidazolone core by alkyl, alkoxy, halogen, haloalkyl, methylenedioxy, ethylenedioxy, ethyleneoxy or vinylenoxy;

(ii)

by substitution at the 3- position nitrogen of the benzimidazolone core by alkyl, cyanoalkyl or acyl;

(iii)

by substitution to any extent on the phenyl ring of the benzyl group by alkyl, alkoxy, halogen, haloalkyl, methylenedioxy, ethylenedioxy, ethyleneoxy or vinylenoxy;

(iv)

by substitution on the methylene group of the benzyl group by alkyl containing up to three carbon atoms;

(v)

by replacement of the benzyl group by a 3,3-diphenylpropyl, a 3-cyano-3,3-diphenylpropyl or a 4-alkyl-4-oxo-3,3-diphenylbutyl group.

(i)

any material (not being a compound for the time being specified in sub-paragraph (a) above) structurally derived from 8-benzyl-1-phenyl-1,3,8-triazaspiro[4.5]decan-4-one by modification in any of the following ways—

(i)

by substitution at the nitrogen at the 3- position of the triazaspiro core by alkyl;

(ii)

by substitution to any extent on the phenyl ring of the benzyl group by alkyl, alkoxy, halogen, haloalkyl, methylenedioxy, ethylenedioxy, ethyleneoxy or vinylenoxy;

(iii)

by substitution on the methylene group of the benzyl group by alkyl containing up to three carbon atoms;

(iv)

by substitution to any extent on the 1-phenyl ring by alkyl, alkoxy, halogen, haloalkyl, methylenedioxy, ethylenedioxy, ethyleneoxy or vinylenoxy;

(v)

by replacement of the benzyl group by a 3,3-diphenylpropyl, a 3,3-diphenyl-3-cyanopropyl or a 4-alkyl-4-oxo-3,3-diphenylbutyl group.”.

(3)

In Part 2 (which specifies the drugs which are subject to control as Class B drugs)f3—

(a)

in paragraph 1(aa)(ii) after “alkyl substituent” insert “or by inclusion of the carbon atom at the 3- position in a phenyl ring”;

(b)

in paragraph 1(ab)(ii) after “alkyl substituent” insert “or by inclusion of the carbon atom at the 3- position in a phenyl ring”;

(c)

after paragraph 1(e) insert—

“(f)

The compounds listed below save where they are contained in cannabis or cannabis resin—

(i)

Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC);

(ii)

Hexahydrocannabiphorol (HHCP);

(iii)

Hexahydrocannabihexol (HHCH);

(iv)

9-Hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol (9-OH-HHC);

(v)

10-Hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol(10-OH-HHC);

(vi)

11-Hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol (11-OH-HHC);

(vii)

10-Hydroxyhexahydrocannabiphorol (10-OH-HHCP);

(viii)

Hexahydrocannabinol-C8 (HHC-C8);

(ix)

Hexahydrocannabinol-C9 (HHC-C9);

(x)

11-Hydroxy tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC);

(xi)

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THC acid A, 1-hydroxy-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6[H]-benzo(c)chromene-2-carboxylic acid);

(xii)

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid B (THC acid B, 1-hydroxy-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6[H]-benzo(c)chromene-4-carboxylic acid).”;

(d)

in paragraph 2A for “or (d)” substitute “, (d) or (f)”.

(4)

In Part 3 (which specifies the drugs which are subject to control as Class C drugs)f4—

(a)

in paragraph 1(a), at the appropriate places in the list, insert—

  • “Carisoprodol.”;

  • “Detomidine.”;

  • “Ethylbromazolam.”;

  • “Etomidate.”;

  • “Medetomidine.”;

  • “Zuranolone.”;

(b)

in paragraph 1(e), at the appropriate places in the list, insert—

  • “Lonapegsomatropin.”;

  • “Somapacitan.”;

  • “Somatrogon.”.

(5)

In Part 4 (which sets out the meaning of certain expressions used in Schedule 2), for the definition of “cannabinol derivatives” substitute—

  • ““cannabinol derivatives” means any substance (not being a substance mentioned in another entry in paragraph 1(a) or in paragraph 1(c) or (f) of Part 2 of this Schedule or contained in cannabis or cannabis resin) which is either or both of the following—

    1. (a)

      a tetrahydro or hexahydro derivative of cannabinol including those derivatives substituted by a hydroxy group at the 11- position;

    2. (b)

      a 3-alkyl homologue of cannabinol or of its tetrahydro or hexahydro derivatives including those derivatives substituted by a hydroxy group at the 11- position;”.

Signature

Name

Clerk of the Privy Council

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order in Council)

This Order brings certain drugs under the control of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38) (“the Act”) in line with recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. It amends Schedule 2 to the Act, under which controlled drugs are classified as Class A (Part 1), Class B (Part 2) or Class C (Part 3). The classification of a drug affects the criminal penalties that result from offences relating to that drug.

Article 2(2) widens the scope of the provisions which control 2-benzyl benzimidazole opioids (commonly known as nitazenes) and acyl piperazine opioids, in order to capture more substances which fall within those classes of drugs as Class A drugs. Article 2(2) also controls seven piperidine benzimidazolone (‘brorphine-like’ or ‘orphine’) opioids, and adds two generic definitions to cover orphine and spirorphine compounds.

Article 2(3) of this Order brings ten semi-synthetic cannabinoids and two precursor acids of tetrahydrocannabinol (‘THC’) under control as Class B drugs under the Act as well as expanding the types of synthetic cathinones brought under control.

Article 2(4) of this Order brings nine new substances under control as Class C drugs under the Act.

Article 2(5) of this Order substitutes the definition of ‘cannabinol derivatives’ with an updated definition which captures additional substances.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.