{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/psychoactive-substances-act-2016/section-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/psychoactive-substances-act-2016/section-2.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2016/2",
  "legislation_title": "Psychoactive Substances Act 2016",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/psychoactive-substances-act-2016",
  "path": "section/2",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Meaning of “psychoactive substance” etc",
  "text": "(1) In this Act “psychoactive substance” means any substance which—\n(a) is capable of producing a psychoactive effect in a person who consumes it, and\n(b) is not an exempted substance (see section 3).\n(2) For the purposes of this Act a substance produces a psychoactive effect in a person if, by stimulating or depressing the person's central nervous system, it affects the person's mental functioning or emotional state; and references to a substance's psychoactive effects are to be read accordingly.\n(3) For the purposes of this Act a person consumes a substance if the person causes or allows the substance, or fumes given off by the substance, to enter the person's body in any way.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 2 in force at 26.5.2016 by S.I. 2016/553, reg. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/2/section/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:06:34.525412+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}