The Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2019
Section 7(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38) (the 1971 Act) requires regulations to be made to allow the use for certain purposes, including medical use, of the drugs which are subject to control under that Act. Section 7(4)(b) of the 1971 Act provides, however, that designated controlled drugs will be exempt from this easement and so cannot lawfully be prescribed, administered, produced, compounded or supplied except under licence or other authority issued by the Department of Health. The designations in question are in the Misuse of Drugs (Designation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001 (the 2001 Order). Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the 2001 Order is amended by reducing the range of compounds captured by one of the definitions of synthetic cannabinoids in Schedule 1 to that Order (which specifies the list of controlled drugs to which section 7(4) of the 1971 Act applies).