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Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

(Redirected from 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act)

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is the Act of Parliament that controls narcotics possession, use and trafficking in the United Kingdom.

The Act is presented often as if little more than a list of proscribed drugs and of penalties linked to their possession and supply. In practice however the Act establishes the Home Secretary as a key player in a drug licensing system. Therefore, for example, various opiates are available legally as prescription-only medicines and cannabis (hemp) may be grown under licence for 'industrial purposes'.

The Act creates three classes of "controlled substances", and ranges of penalties for illegal or unlicensed "possession" and "possession with intent to supply" are graded differently within each class. The lists of substances within each class can be amended "by order", so the Home Secretary can list new drugs and upgrade, downgrade or delist previously-controlled drugs with less of the bureaucracy and delay associated with passing an Act through both Houses of Parliament.

Contents

International cooperation

The Act provides for cooperation with other nations in implementing drug control treaties. Specifically, the Act makes it a crime to assist in, incite, or induce, the commission of an offense, outside the UK, against another nation's "corresponding law" on drugs. A "corresponding law" is defined as another country's law "providing for the control and regulation in that country of the production, supply, use, export and import of drugs and other substances in accordance with the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs" or another drug control treaty to which the UK and the other country are parties. An example might be lending money to a U.S. drug dealer for the purpose of violating the Controlled Substances Act.

History of drugs policy in the UK

Before 1971, the UK had a relatively liberal drugs policy and it was not until US influence had been brought to bear — particularly in United Nations circles — that all drugs use was criminalised. Before the passage of the Act, it was possible for heroin addicts to be prescribed enough of the drug to manage their addiction without being forced to buy from the black market, for example.

Supporters of the newer drugs policy tend to believe that criminalising both drugs use and possession is the best way to handle the social problems caused by drugs, whereas opponents tend to suggest that criminalising users and dealers alike is counterproductive and detrimental to the health of users.

Class A drugs

  • Acetorphine
  • Allylprodine
  • Alphacetylmethadol
  • Alphameprodine
  • Alphamethaclol
  • Alphaprodine
  • Ani Ieridine
  • Benzethidine
  • Benzylmorphine (3-benzylmorphine)
  • Betacetylmethadol
  • Betameprodine
  • Betamethadol
  • Betaprodine
  • Bezitramide
  • Bufotenine
  • Cannabinol, except where contained in cannabis or cannabis resin
  • Cannabinol derivatives
  • Clonitazene
  • Coca leaf
  • Cocaine
  • Desomorphine
  • Dextromoramide
  • Diamorphine (heroin)
  • Diampromide
  • Diethylthiambutene
  • Dihydrocodeinone O-carboxymethyloxime
  • Dihydromorphine
  • Dimenoxadole
  • Dimepheptanol
  • Dimethylthiambutene
  • Dioxaphetyl butyrate
  • Diphenoxylate
  • Dipipanone
  • Ecgonine , and any derivative of ecgonine which is convertible to ecgonine or to cocaine
  • Ethylmethylthiambutene
  • Etonitazene
  • Etorphine
  • Etoxeridine
  • Fentanyl
  • Furethidine
  • Hydrocodone
  • Hydromorphinol
  • Hydromorphone
  • Hydroxypethidine
  • Isomethadone
  • Ketobemidone
  • Levomethorphan
  • Levomoramide
  • Levophenacylmorphan
  • Levorphanol
  • Lysergamide
  • Lysergide and other N-alkyl derivatives of lysergamide
  • Mescaline
  • Metazocine
  • Methadone
  • Methadyl acetate
  • Methyldesorphine
  • Methyldihydromorphine (6-methyldihydromorphine)
  • Metopon
  • Morpheridine
  • Morphine
  • Morphine methobromide , morphine N-oxide and other pentavalent nitrogen morphine derivatives
  • Myrophine
  • Nicodicodine (6-nicotinoyldi-hydrocodeine)
  • Nicomorphine (3,6-dinicotinoyl-morphine)
  • Noracyinethadol
  • Norlevorphanol
  • Normethadone
  • Normorphine
  • Norpipanone
  • Opium, whether raw, prepared or medicinal
  • Oxycodone
  • Oxymorphone
  • Pethidine
  • Phenadoxone
  • Phenampromide
  • Phenazocine
  • Phenomorphan
  • Phenoperidine
  • Piminodine
  • Piritramide
  • Poppy-straw and concentrate of poppy-straw
  • Proheptazine
  • Properidine (1-methyl-4-phenyl-piperidine-4-carboxylic acid isopropyl ester)
  • Psilocin
  • Racemcthorphan
  • Racemoramide
  • Racemorphan
  • Thebacon
  • Thebaine
  • Trimeperidine
  • 4-Cyano-2-dimethylamino-4 , 4-diphenylbutane
  • 4-Cyano-1-methyl-4-phenyl-piperidine
  • N,N-Diethyltryptamine
  • N,N-Dimethyltryptamine
  • 2,5-Dimethoxy-a,4-dimethyl-phenethylaniine
  • 1-Methyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid
  • 2-Methyl-3-morpholino-1
  • 1-diphenylpropanecarboxylic acid
  • 4-Phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester

Class B drugs

Class C drugs

External links

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