The Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (Amendment No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024

Explanatory note

Reproduced verbatim from the instrument as published on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). The note is prepared by the responsible government department and is not part of the instrument itself.

This Order amends the Misuse of Drugs (Designation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001 ( S.R. 2001 No. 431 ) (“ the Order ”).

Regulation 2(2) adds twenty-one substances (four acyl piperazine opioids, two chemically bridged acyl piperazine derivatives, and fifteen novel benzodiazepines and related compounds) to Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Order.

Regulation 2(3) adds an additional common name and the full International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry name to the entry for methoxyphenidine, which is already included in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Order.

Regulation 2(4) adds a range of 2-benzyl benzimidazole variants to the Order.

Section 7(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38) requires the Department of Health to make regulations to allow drugs controlled under that Act to be used for medicinal purposes. Section 7(3), however, does not apply to any drug which is designated by order under section 7(4) of that Act. Controlled drugs are designated where the Department of Health is of the opinion that it is in the public interest for production, supply and possession of that drug to be either wholly unlawful or unlawful except for research or other special purposes, or for medicinal use of the drug to be unlawful except under licence. Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Order specifies the list of controlled drugs to which section 7(4) applies.