1. CNB has completed a review of the First Schedule to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (“MDA”), to include additional New Psychoactive Substances (“NPS”) under the MDA, and to provide greater clarity on the definition and scope of what constitutes “cannabinol derivatives”.
2. The following amendments will come into effect on 1 July 2025 (see Annex for details):
a) Listing of seven NPS; and
b) Listing of examples of
drugs which will come within the definition of “cannabinol derivatives”.
Global NPS Situation
3. The NPS situation remains a serious concern globally, with many new
NPS being identified every year. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs Report on Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia 2025, NPS “remains a concern in the region as new compounds continue to be detected each year and can be found mixed with other substances in a variety of emerging products sold in illegal drug markets."1 Preliminary data showed that there were 575 individual NPS identified in East and Southeast Asia as at December 2024.
4. NPS abuse has been associated with adverse health outcomes,
including paranoia, seizures, hallucinations, and even death.
5. CNB closely monitors the global and local NPS situation and responds accordingly, regularly reviewing its strategies to improve the detection and enforcement of NPS. The listing of the additional seven NPS in the MDA will enable CNB to take more effective enforcement action against individuals who traffic, possess, or consume these substances.
Cannabinol Derivatives
6. CNB has also reviewed how to enhance clarity on which substances come under the definition of “cannabinol derivatives” in the MDA. The amendment to include specific examples of such derivatives in the MDA will provide clearer guidance on the scope, and reduce ambiguity in interpretation.
CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU
30 June 2025
[1] UNODC Press Release (28 May 2025). Rise in production and trafficking of synthetic drugs from the Golden Triangle, new report shows. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2025/May/rise-in-production-and-trafficking-of-synthetic-drugs-from-the-golden-triangle--new-report-shows.html
Annex
Additional Substances to be Listed in the First Schedule as Class A Controlled Drugs (with effect from 1 July 2025)
A. NPS
- 2-(4-Ethoxybenzyl)-5-nitro-1-(2-piperidin-1-ylethyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole (also known as etonitazepipne or N-piperidinyl 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
- N-Ethyl-2-(2-(4-isopropoxybenzyl)-5-nitro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)ethan-1-amine (also known as norisotonitazene or N-desethyl isotonitazene) and its ethylamino and isopropoxy structural isomers and their respective isopropoxy positional isomers in the phenyl ring and nitro positional isomers in the 6-membered ring of the benzimidazole structure
- 2-(4-Methoxybenzyl)-5-nitro-1-(2-pyrrolidin-1-ylethyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole (also known as metonitazepyne or N-pyrrolidino metonitazene) and its methoxy positional isomers in the phenyl ring and their respective nitro positional isomers in the 6-membered ring of the benzimidazole structure
- Methyl 2-(1H-indazole-3-carboxamido)-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (also known as MDMB-INACA) and its hexanoate isomers
- 2-(5-Methyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamido)-3,3-dimethylbutanoic acid and its hexanoic acid isomers and their respective methyl positional isomers in the 6-membered ring of the indazole structure
- Methyl 2-(5-methyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamido)-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (also known as MDMB-5-Methyl-INACA or MDMB-5-Me-INACA) and its hexanoate isomers and their respective methyl positional isomers in the 6-membered ring of the indazole structure
- 2-(4-Propoxybenzyl)-5-nitro-1-(2-pyrrolidin-1-ylethyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole (also known as protonitazepyne or N-pyrrolidino protonitazene) and its propoxy 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
B. Amendments to the definition of “Cannabinol Derivatives”
- The definition of “cannabinol derivatives” in the MDA and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (“MDR”), which is defined in Part 4 of the First Schedule to the MDA, will be amended as follows:
“ “cannabinol derivatives” means any of the following substances:
(a) any tetrahydro or hexahydro derivative of cannabinol;
(b) any carboxylic acid derivative of tetrahydro or hexahydro derivatives of cannabinol;
(c) any 3-alkyl homologue of cannabinol;
(d) any tetrahydro or hexahydro derivative of 3-alkyl homologues of cannabinol;
(e) any compound structurally derived from a substance mentioned in paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) by substitution of any of the hydrogen atoms,
and the following examples of such a substance:
(1) Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol
(2) Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol acetate
(3) Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (also known as Tetrahydrocannabinol)
(4) Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol acetate (also known as Tetrahydrocannabinol acetate)
(5) 3-(1,2-Dimethylheptyl)-1-hydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran (also known as Dimethylheptylpyran or DMHP)
(6) Hexahydrocannabinol
(7) 3-Hexyl-1-hydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran (also known as Parahexyl)
(8) 11-Nor-delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid
(9) 11-Nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid;”
