# The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024, Note: Explanatory note

Extent: N.I.

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 (S.R. 2002 No. 1) (“the 2002 Regulations”).
Regulation 2(2) adds twenty-one substances (including seventeen synthetic opioids, sixteen of which are nitazenes) to Schedule 1 to the 2002 Regulations. Regulation 2(3) removes two synthetic opioids, both of which are nitazenes (clonitazene and etonitazene), from Schedule 2 to the 2002 Regulations, following their insertion into Schedule 1 to the 2002 Regulations by regulations 2(2)(c) and (f). Regulation 2(4) adds remimazolam to Part 1 of Schedule 4 to the 2002 Regulations. The Schedule in which a controlled drug is placed affects the extent to which the drug can be lawfully imported, exported, produced, supplied or possessed and dictates the controls that the drug is subject to, such as the record-keeping, labelling and destruction requirements in relation to that drug. [The controlled drugs placed in Schedule 1 to the 2002 Regulations are those subject to the tightest controls, requiring a licence from the Department of Health in order to access such drugs. The controlled drugs placed in Part 1 of Schedule 4 to the 2002 Regulations are also subject to controls (albeit less strict than those for controlled drugs placed in Schedule 1 to the 2002 Regulations), such as record-keeping, furnishing of information and destruction of drugs.]

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2024/36/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/misuse-of-drugs-amendment-regulations-northern-ireland-2024/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.