On 1 July 2023, the following amendments will be made to the First Schedule of the
Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (“MDA”):
a) Listing of ten New Psychoactive Substances (“NPS”)
b) Inclusion of new substituents and isomer[1]
c) Expanding the definition of “cannabinol derivatives”
Please see Annex A for the list. The amendments are to ensure that NPS and emerging
cannabinol variants can be dealt with as controlled drugs under the MDA.
Global NPS Situation
2. The NPS situation remains worrying. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Early Warning Advisory on New Psychoactive Substances, there were at least 1,182 NPS reported from 139 countries and territories as of December 2022.
3. Their abuse has been linked to adverse physical and psychological reactions, including paranoia, seizures, hallucinations and even death.
4. CNB regularly reviews its strategies to improve the detection of NPS, and enforcement against illicit use, including the listing of new NPS in the First Schedule. CNB will continue to closely monitor the NPS situation.
Cannabinol Derivatives
5. Cannabinol derivatives, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are compounds found in cannabis plants. The more common forms are controlled under the MDA. CNB has detected new derivatives that have the same harmful effects as those of THC. To allow us to take action against persons dealing in these new derivatives, we will be expanding the definition of cannabinol derivatives in the MDA so that these new derivatives are covered.
CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU
30 JUNE 2023
[1] Isomers are molecules with identical molecular formulae, but arranged differently in a three-dimensional space (i.e. same atoms, but arranged differently). Substituents are atoms or groups of atoms that replace (one or more) atoms in the parent molecule.
ANNEX A
Additional Substances to be Listed in the First Schedule as Class A Controlled Drugs (with effect from 1 July 2023)
A. NPS
1. 2-(2-(4-Butoxybenzyl)-5-nitro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)-N,N-diethylethan-1-amine (also known as butonitazene or butoxynitazene) and its diethylamino and butoxy structural isomers and their respective butoxy positional isomers in the phenyl ring and nitro positional isomers in the 6-membered ring of the benzimidazole structure
2. 5-(Cyclobutylmethyl)-2-(2-phenylpropan-2-yl)-pyrido[4,3-b]indol-1-one (also known as Cumyl-CB-MeGACLONE, Cumyl-CBMGACLONE, cumyl-cyclobutylmethyl- gammacarbolinone or SGT-273) and its phenylpropyl isomers
3. N-Cyclohexyl-2-(1-(4-hydroxypentyl)-1H-indol-3-yl)acetamide and its hydroxy positional isomers in the pentyl group
4. N-Cyclohexyl-2-(1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl)acetamide (also known as CH-PIATA)
5. N,N-Diethyl-2-(2-(4-propoxybenzyl)-5-nitro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)ethan-1-amine (also known as protonitazene or propoxynitazene) and its diethylamino structural isomers and their respective propoxy positional isomers in the phenyl ring and nitro positional isomers in the 6-membered ring of the benzimidazole structure
6. 2-(2-(4-Ethoxybenzyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)-N,N-diethylethan-1-amine (also known as etodesnitazene, etazene, etazen, etazone or desnitroetonitazene) and its diethylamino structural isomers and their respective ethoxy positional isomers in the phenyl ring
7. 2-(4-Ethoxybenzyl)-5-nitro-1-(2-pyrrolidin-1-ylethyl)-1H-benzimidazole (also known as etonitazepyne or N-pyrrolidino etonitazene) and its ethoxy positional isomers in the phenyl ring and their respective nitro positional isomers in the 6-membered ring of the benzimidazole structure
8. N’-(1-Hexyl-2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)-4-hydroxybenzohydrazide and its hydroxy positional isomers in the phenyl ring
9. N’-(1-(4-Hydroxycyclohexylmethyl)-2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)benzohydrazide and its hydroxy positional isomers in the cyclohexyl group
10. 1-(2-Methyl-4-(3-phenyl-prop-2-en-1-yl)-piperazin-1-yl)-1-butanone (also known as 2-methyl-AP-237 or 2-methyl buccinazine) and its methyl positional isomers in the piperazinyl ring
B. Substituents and Isomers
1. The inclusion of ‘cycloalkyl’ to para 16(c):
Any compound, other than bupropion, that is structurally derived from 2-amino-1- phenylpropan-1-one by modification in any of the following ways:
...
(c) substitution at the nitrogen atom with alkyl, cycloalkyl or dialkyl, benzyl or methoxybenzyl groups, or by inclusion of the nitrogen atom in a cyclic structure,
2. The inclusion of ‘cycloalkyl’ to para 17(c):
Any compound that is structurally derived from 2-aminopropan-1-one by substitution at the 1-position with any monocyclic, or fused-polycyclic ring system (not being a phenyl ring or alkylenedioxyphenyl ring system), whether or not the compound is further modified in any of the following ways:
...
(c) substitution at the 2-amino nitrogen atom with alkyl, cycloalkyl or dialkyl groups, or by inclusion of the 2-amino nitrogen atom in a cyclic structure,
3. The inclusion of ‘N-(1-amino-1-oxohexan-2-yl) isomers’ to para 18(1A):
(1A) N-(1-Amino-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl)-5-bromo-1H-indazole-3- carboxamide (also known as ADB-5-Bromo-INACA) and its N-(1-amino-1- oxohexan-2-yl) isomers and their respective bromo positional isomers in the 6- membered ring of the indazole structure
4. The inclusion of ‘an arylalkyl group’ as a Type A substituent and Type B substituent.
C. Definition of ‘Cannabinol Derivatives’
1. The inclusion of ‘any compound structurally derived from such derivatives by substitution of any of the hydrogen atoms’ to the meaning of ‘cannabinol derivatives’ at Part 4 of the First Schedule of the MDA.
