UK Law

The Misuse of Drugs 1971 Act places restrictions on ‘controlled drugs’. Controlled drugs are those drugs that Parliament considers harmful and therefore makes subject to control under the Act. If controlled drugs are handled in an unauthorised manner, for example without a prescription, an offence is committed under the 1971 Act.

The 1971 Act categorises controlled drugs under classes A, B or C. The ‘2001 Regulations’ determine the class of person authorised to supply and possess controlled drugs by categorising the drugs under schedules 1 to 5. Thus, every controlled drug is categorised under both a class and a schedule.