2021 No. 342
Dangerous Drugs

The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Made
Coming into operation
The Department of Health1, makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 7, 10, 22 and 31 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 19712 as adapted by sections 7(9), 31(4) and 38 of that Act and now vested in it3 and after consultation with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in accordance with section 31(3) of that Act.

Citation, commencement and interpretation1.

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 and shall come into operation on the 15th June 2022.

(2)

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19544 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Amendment of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20022.

(1)

The following amendments are made to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20025.

(2)

Omit regulation 4B (Exceptions for gamma-butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol)6.

(3)

In paragraph 1(a) of Schedule 1—

(a)

after “Bufotenine” insert “1,4-Butanediol”; and

(b)

after “Fungus (of any kind) which contains psilocin or an ester of psilocin” insert “Gamma-butyrolactone”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health on 15th December 2021.

Cathy Harrison
A senior officer of the Department of Health
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(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 Regulations”).

Regulation 2(2) removes regulation 4B of the Regulations, that made it lawful to import, export, produce, supply, offer to supply or possess Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BD) in certain circumstances.

Regulation 2(3) adds 1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BD) and Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) to Schedule 1 to the Regulations. The Schedule to the Regulations in which a controlled drug is placed affects the extent to which the drug can be lawfully imported, exported, produced, supplied or possessed. The controlled drugs placed in Schedule 1 to the Regulations are those subject to the tightest controls, requiring a licence in order to access such drugs.